Japan's current account surplus in the first half of fiscal 2023 tripled from a year earlier to a record ¥12.71 trillion ($84 billion), lifted by record-high foreign investment returns as falling energy import costs trimmed the trade deficit, government data showed Thursday.
Primary income stood at ¥18.38 trillion, up 3.9% from a year earlier, as higher overseas yields and a weaker yen boosted the total. The figure was the highest since comparable data became available in fiscal 1985.
As energy prices dropped, the trade deficit for resource-poor Japan shrank 84.7% to ¥1.41 trillion, with overall imports down 13.2% at ¥51.03 trillion.