TOKYO, (Pakistan Point News - 08th Aug, 2025) Japan's current account surplus in the first half of 2025 rose 9.1 percent from a year earlier to 14.60 trillion Yen ($99.1 billion), lifted by a smaller trade deficit and higher returns on foreign investments, government data showed Friday.
In the January-June period, 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, Kyodo news quoted the Finance Ministry as saying.
The goods trade deficit shrank 28.9 percent from the previous year to 1.76 trillion yen, as exports climbed 2.3 percent to 51.86 trillion yen, led by increased shipments of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and automobiles.
Imports also grew 0.9 percent to 53.62 trillion yen, driven by a rise in purchases of pharmaceutical products and communication devices, the ministry said in a preliminary report.
The services trade deficit shrank 30.9 percent to 1.38 trillion yen, helped by a surge in the travel surplus, which stood at 3.61 trillion yen, a record high for any half-year period.
Around 21.52 million foreign travellers visited Japan in January to June, up 21.0 percent year-on-year, according to the ministry. A surplus in the travel balance means that spending in Japan by foreign visitors exceeded the amount spent overseas by residents of Japan.
In June alone, the country logged a 1.35 trillion yen current account surplus.
