Japan posted a trade surplus of ¥813.4 billion ($7.29 billion) in February, the largest in nearly seven years, as exports to China showed solid growth, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.

Sharp gains in shipments of car parts to China and electronics parts to Hong Kong helped lift overall exports, which jumped 11.3 percent from a year earlier to ¥6.35 trillion — the third straight month of increase.

Imports climbed 1.2 percent year on year to ¥5.53 trillion as the value of crude oil imports increased, the ministry said in a preliminary report.