TOKYO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Japan's current account surplus in the first half of 2025 rose 9.1 percent from a year earlier to 14.60 trillion yen (about 99.1 billion U.S. dollars), helped by a smaller trade deficit and higher returns on foreign investments, data from the Ministry of Finance showed on Friday.
The surplus in the current account balance, one of the widest gauges of international trade, hit the second-highest level for any half-year period since comparable data became available in 1985, the Ministry said in a preliminary report.
In the January-June period, the goods trade deficit dropped 28.9 percent from the previous year to 1.76 trillion yen, as exports grew 2.3 percent to 51.86 trillion yen, while imports climbed 0.9 percent to 53.62 trillion yen, data showed.
Primary income, which reflects how much Japan earned from overseas investments, increased 3.3 percent to a record 20.77 trillion yen.
Among other key components, Japan's services trade deficit fell 30.9 percent to 1.38 trillion yen, helped by a surge in the travel surplus, which came to 3.61 trillion yen, a record high for any half-year period.
Around 21.52 million foreign travelers visited Japan in January to June, up 21.0 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry.
In June alone, the country posted a 1.35 trillion yen current account surplus. (1 U.S. dollar equals 147.4 yen) ■
