Japan logs 19-bln-USD current account surplus in February

TOKYO, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Japan logged a current account surplus of 2.08 trillion yen (19 billion U.S. dollars) in February, the government said in a report on Monday.

According to the Finance Ministry, February marked the 44th straight month the nation's current account was in surplus.

The preliminary report showed that goods trade booked a surplus of 188.7 billion yen (1.76 billion U.S. dollars), the ministry said.

The surplus in the primary income account, meanwhile, which shows Japan's earnings from overseas investments, totaled 1.95 trillion yen (18.25 billion U.S. dollars) in the recording period, the ministry said.

Japan's current account surplus is one of the broadest measures of its trade with the rest of the world and the data is keenly eyed by the Bank of Japan and the Finance Ministry ahead of new potential policy changes or monetary easing or tapering measures.

In Japan, the current account surplus increases the nation's net foreign assets by the corresponding amount, and a current account deficit does the reverse.

Both the Japanese government and private payments are included in the calculation and it is called the current account because goods and services are generally consumed in the current period. Enditem