Weighed down by the novel coronavirus pandemic, Japan's current account surplus for August fell from a year earlier for the sixth straight month, although at a slower pace in line with a gradual resumption of economic activity, government data showed Thursday.
The surplus of the balance, one of the widest gauges of international trade, stood at ¥2.10 trillion ($19.82 billion), down 1.5 percent and staying in the black for the 74th straight month, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.
The monthly drop in the surplus was the smallest since the pandemic began squeezing global trade in March. In the five months prior to August, the surplus had continuously logged double-digit year-on-year drops of up to 90 percent.