The surplus in the broadest measure for Japan’s trade with the rest of the world nearly doubled from the same month a year ago, the government said today, underlining the nation’s export-driven economic recovery.
Japan’s current account surplus - a measure of trade in goods and services - totalled 1.5 trillion yen (€12.8bn) in June, up from 791 billion yen (€6.77bn) a year ago, marking the ninth straight month of gains, the Finance Ministry said.
Japan has been emerging slowly from a long downturn, but much of the impetus for recovery has come from exports as domestic demand remains weak amid high unemployment, diminishing incomes and growing fears about the future.