( AP )- Japan's current account surplus rose 8.1 percent in January from a year earlier, showing net trade starting the year on a firm footing despite fears of an export slowdown, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.
The surplus in the current account, the broadest measure of Japan's trade with the rest of the world, stood at 1.236 trillion yen (US$11.96 billion; €7.78 billion) before seasonal adjustment, the data showed.
The results were better than expected by economists surveyed by Dow Jones and Nikkei, who estimated a 6.1 percent increase in the surplus to 1.213 trillion yen (US$11.74 billion; €7.63 billion).
The current account measures trade in goods, services, tourism and investment. It is calculated by determining the difference between Japan's income from foreign sources against payments on foreign obligations and excludes net capital investment.
In December, the current account shrank for the first time in 12 months, decreasing 4.7 percent on year.