Japan's current account surplus widened in March, Finance Ministry data showed on Thursday, easing some concerns about the country's balance of payments as hefty gains in investment incomes more than offset surging fuel costs.
Japan's current account surplus stood at ¥2.55 trillion ($19.68 billion) in March, the data showed, up ¥69 billion and the second straight month the balance has been in the black, the data showed.
It compared with economists' median forecast for a surplus of ¥1.75 trillion in a Reuters poll. Higher oil import costs offset gains in investment income, with continuing uncertainty due to the Ukraine crisis and COVID-19 pandemic, data showed on Thursday.