TOKYO, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Japan logged a goods trade surplus of 113.6 billion yen (1.01 billion U.S. dollars) in August, the government said on Wednesday.
According to a preliminary report by the Finance Ministry, Japan's exports rose 18.1 percent on year while its imports increased 15.2 percent from a year earlier, on a customs-cleared basis.
The figures came in above median analysts' expectations and are evidence of robust growth in exports this year, they said.
"In a word, the trade data is strong. Imports were strong, but exports were stronger, and this is definitely a positive reading," said Yoshiki Shinke, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.
The rising imports figure, also beating median analysts' forecasts, contributes to embryonic signs that domestic demand, although skittish, is solidifying, although a tight labor market and stagnant wages continue to provide headwinds, senior economists said.
"In the third quarter, we will see a trend reversal in the Japanese economy. External demand will be strong and consumption will lack momentum," said Hiroaki Muto, chief economist at Tokai Tokyo Research Center.
Japan's trade surplus with the United States, meanwhile, expanded to about 534.70 billion yen (4.79 billion dollars) in the recording period, as exports increased 21.8 percent to 1.18 trillion yen and imports rose 5.7 percent to 648.75 billion yen, the ministry said.
The Finance Ministry also said that Japan booked a trade deficit with China of 239.84 billion yen (2.14 billion dollars), with exports to its largest trading partner soaring 25.8 percent to 1.22 trillion yen and imports rising 11.0 percent to 1.46 trillion yen.
The Finance Ministry also said that Japan booked a surplus of 514.46 billion yen (4.61 billion dollars) with Asia as a whole, and logged a trade deficit with the European Union of 84.56 billion yen (758.08 million dollars).
Japan's trade figures are an important gauge for the government and are used as a key monthly economic indicator.
A positive balance of trade, in which Japan's exports exceeds its imports effectively represents a net inflow of domestic currency from foreign markets.
This remains a mainstay of Japan's export-led economy, despite the government's seeming hope of an economy that will be driven by domestic demand, a proposition found by leading economists to be somewhat implausible.
