Japan's current account surplus grew 50.3% in the first half of 2021 from a year earlier to ¥10.5 trillion ($95 billion), boosted by a remarkable improvement in exports from a slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Tuesday.
Among key components, the goods trade balance marked a ¥2.3 trillion surplus, a turnaround from the previous year's ¥973.5 billion deficit, as exports of cars, auto parts and other items rebounded in line with a strong recovery in the global economy from a pandemic-induced slump in early 2020.
Also lifted by brisk shipments of semiconductor-producing equipment amid a global chip crunch, exports soared 22.2% to ¥39.2 trillion.