Japan logs record 17.51 tril. yen current account surplus in April-Sept.

In the April-September period, the surplus in the current account balance, one of the broadest gauges of international trade, hit the highest level for any fiscal half-year period since comparable data became available in 1985, the Finance Ministry said.

The goods trade improved from a deficit of 2.36 trillion yen to a surplus of 49.4 billion yen, as imports decreased 3.8 percent to 52.61 trillion yen amid lower energy prices, the ministry said in a preliminary report.

Exports edged up 0.6 percent to 52.66 trillion yen, supported by increased semiconductor purchases by China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. However, U.S.-bound shipments of automobiles and other goods declined due to higher tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

Among other key components, Japan's primary income, which reflects earnings from overseas investments, climbed 2.1 percent to 22.28 trillion yen, as a conglomerate received hefty dividends from its offshore subsidiaries.

The service trade deficit narrowed 11.3 percent to 1.86 trillion yen, supported by a larger travel surplus of 3.31 trillion yen, the second highest for any fiscal half-year period.

A surplus in the travel balance means that spending in Japan by foreign visitors exceeded the amount spent overseas by residents of Japan.

For the six months through September, about 21.11 million foreign tourists visited Japan, up 15.2 percent from a year earlier, the report showed.

In September alone, the country had a current account surplus of 4.48 trillion yen, nearly three times higher than the year before.

Primary income surged 82.3 percent to 4.95 trillion yen and the goods trade balance returned to a surplus of 236 billion yen.

Earlier, it was reported Kazakhstan’s economy grows 6.4% in 10 months.