| NEWS ARCHIVES |
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| Japan's current account surplus widens as exports rise for first time in 15 months |
| 8 Feb 2010 |
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Japan’s current-account surplus widened for a fifth month in December as exports advanced for the first time in more than a year.
Data out today showed the surplus rose to 901 billion yen or about 10 billion US dollars from a year earlier.
Economists had expected the gap to grow to 1.01 trillion yen.
Exports rose 11.7 percent in December, the first advance in 15 months.
Shipments to China gained 42.8 percent in December, while exports to the US slid 7.6 percent and those to Europe advanced 1.4 percent.
A surge in global trade probably helped the world’s second- largest economy expand for a third quarter in the final three months of 2009
Growth in Asia is bolstering sales at companies including Honda.
Analysts predict that economic growth in Japan probably accelerated at an annual 4 percent pace in the three months ended December.
That compares with a 1.3 percent growth in the previous quarter.
The Cabinet Office report is scheduled for release next Monday. |