Thanks to growing exports, the nation's current account surplus expanded for a seventh straight month in April, marking a 21.7 percent year-on-year increase to 1.08 trillion yen, according to a preliminary report released Thursday.
In April, the surplus in merchandise trade, or exports minus imports, was up 18.9 percent from a year earlier to 1 trillion yen, rising for the second consecutive month, according to the report by the Finance Ministry.
A ministry official attributed the trade surplus increase to an improvement in exports riding the recent global economic recovery. In April, exports rose 1.3 percent to 4.16 trillion yen, marking their first rise in 13 months.