Japan’s 2025 Current Account Surplus Hits Record

Tokyo, Feb. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s current account surplus in 2025 rose 11.1 pct from the previous year to a record 31,879.9 billion yen, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report Monday. The country’s combined balance of goods and services trade thus extended its historic surplus growth to two years. According to the ministry, the annual goods trade deficit shrank sharply to 848.7 billion yen from 3,660.2 billion. Exports increased 2.5 pct to 107,763 billion yen led by electronic components such as semiconductors and foodstuffs. Although exports to the United States dropped for the first time in five years due chiefly to U.S. President Donald Trump’s high tariff policy, those to other parts of Asia and Europe were robust. On the other hand, imports inched down 0.1 pct to 108,611.8 billion yen amid weaker markets for coal, crude oil and other energy commodities. The current account surplus was also pushed up by net primary income’s 4.7 pct rise to an all-time high of 41,590.3 billion yen reflecting an increase in dividend payments by overseas subsidiaries of Japanese firms. Meanwhile, Japan saw its services trade deficit widen to 3,392.8 billion yen from 2,776.5 billion yen, as expenses for developing automobiles and drugs abroad grew. In December alone, the country’s current account balance showed a net fund inflow of 728.8 billion yen, remaining in surplus for the 11th consecutive month. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]