Japan's trade surplus in the first half of 2002 jumped 56.8 percent from a year earlier to 4.99 trillion yen, marking its first rise in 3 1/2 years, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday by the Finance Ministry.
The increase was spearheaded by brisk exports to the rest of Asia, the report on customs-cleared merchandise trade shows.
As well as being the first increase since July-December 1998, it was the largest growth recorded since January-June 1998, when the nation's trade surplus increased 66.3 percent on a year-on-year basis, according to the ministry.