Japan posts current account surplus of 4.06tn yen in August

TOKYO: Japan posted a current account surplus of 4.06 trillion yen (about $25.7 billion) in August, up 12.0% from a year earlier, government data showed on Thursday.

In August, the goods trade balance swung to a deficit of 687.7 billion yen, owing to higher imports of crude oil and other commodities, compared with a surplus of 113.8 billion yen a year earlier, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.

Exports rose 16.9% to 9.86 trillion yen and imports increased 26.7% to 10.55 trillion yen.

Meanwhile, primary income, which reflects how much Japan earned from overseas investments, expanded 21.6% from the previous year to 5.13 trillion yen, the ministry said.

The current account balance is one of the widest gauges of international trade.

By RSS/Xinhua