TOKYO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Japan recorded a current account surplus of 2.6843 trillion yen (about 18.1 billion U.S. dollars) in July, marking a 19.1 percent decline from the same month a year earlier, government data showed Monday.
Despite the drop, it was the sixth consecutive month of surplus, according to the Ministry of Finance.
The decrease was mainly due to a narrower surplus in primary income from overseas investments, which reflects investment returns such as dividends and interest.
The primary income surplus stood at 4.075 trillion yen, down 11.6 percent year-on-year. A 7.2 percent appreciation of the yen against the dollar reduced the value of overseas investment income, while the absence of large dividend payments that had been recorded a year earlier also weighed on the balance.
The trade balance posted a deficit of 189.4 billion yen. Imports fell more sharply than exports, as lower crude oil prices and a stronger yen reduced import values of fossil fuels such as crude oil, coal, and liquefied natural gas.
On the export side, U.S. tariff policies had a visible impact. Automobile exports dropped 11.4 percent, while exports to North America overall declined 9.4 percent, the data showed. (1 Japanese yen equals about 0.007 U.S. dollars) ■