TOKYO, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Japan posted a current account surplus of 4.06 trillion yen (about 25.7 billion U.S. dollars) in August, up 12.0 percent from a year earlier, government data showed Thursday.
In August, the goods trade balance swung to a deficit of 687.7 billion yen, due 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 percent to 9.86 trillion yen and imports increased 26.7 percent to 10.55 trillion yen.
Meanwhile, primary income, which reflects how much Japan earned from overseas investments, expanded 21.6 percent 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. ■