The July current account surplus surged 62.7 percent compared with the previous month to 9.06 billion yen, according to preliminary figures released by the Finance Ministry on Sept. 11.

The figure marked the fourth consecutive month in which the surplus rose, almost guaranteeing that it will be a key topic at the meeting of the finance ministers and central bankers of the Group of Seven industrial nations in Hong Kong next week.

Senior U.S. officials such as Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin have recently indicated that they want Tokyo to abide by its commitment to secure domestic-demand led growth and keep external surpluses from rising considerably.