TOKYO, March 10 (UPI) -- Japan's current account surplus in January rose to nearly $9.4 billion, 2.35 times that of January 2003, the Ministry of Finance said Wednesday.
The country has run a surplus for seven consecutive months, primarily due to strong Asian demands for mobile phone parts and semiconductor production equipment.
Another factor contributing to the surplus was a 20 percent reduction in the service account deficit, owing to an 11-month decline in overseas trips against the backdrop of terrorism and SARS.
The January trade surplus amounted to $5.8 billion, more than twice as much as the figure a year ago.
The January capital account balance, or the gap between foreign investment in Japan and Japanese investment overseas, reached a record of more than $50 billion.
