Current account surplus marks 40 percent rise
Japan's current account surplus rose 40.4 percent in September from a year earlier, marking nine months of growth, the government said Monday.
The surplus in the current account stood at 2.883 trillion yen (US$26.07 billion) in September before seasonal adjustment, the Finance Ministry said. The data recorded a 42.1 percent increase in August.
The result exceeded the estimate by economists surveyed by Dow Jones and Nikkei, who had predicted a surplus of 2.655 trillion yen (US$24.01 billion).
The surplus, the broadest measure of Japan's trade with the rest of the world, for the April-September fiscal half expanded 34.1 percent on year to 12.424 trillion yen (US$112.33 billion), marking the fourth consecutive growth, the ministry said.
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.
--- Vocabulary ---
Current account surplus : 経営黒字
Surplus : 残り、黒字、余剰
Current account : 経常収支
Rose : 上昇した (=rise)
Trillion : 1兆
Seasonal adjustment : 季節調整
Predict : 予測する、予想する
Measure : 量、単位、手法、手段、測定する（動）
Consecutive : 連続した
Determine : 決定する、測定する
Obligation : 義務、債権、債務
Exclude : 排除する
Capital investment : 資本投資
Japan's current account surplus rose 40.4 percent in September from a year earlier, marking nine months of growth, the government said Monday.
The surplus in the current account stood at 2.883 trillion yen (US$26.07 billion) in September before seasonal adjustment, the Finance Ministry said. The data recorded a 42.1 percent increase in August.
The result exceeded the estimate by economists surveyed by Dow Jones and Nikkei, who had predicted a surplus of 2.655 trillion yen (US$24.01 billion).
The surplus, the broadest measure of Japan's trade with the rest of the world, for the April-September fiscal half expanded 34.1 percent on year to 12.424 trillion yen (US$112.33 billion), marking the fourth consecutive growth, the ministry said.
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.
--- Vocabulary ---
Current account surplus : 経営黒字
Surplus : 残り、黒字、余剰
Current account : 経常収支
Rose : 上昇した (=rise)
Trillion : 1兆
Seasonal adjustment : 季節調整
Predict : 予測する、予想する
Measure : 量、単位、手法、手段、測定する（動）
Consecutive : 連続した
Determine : 決定する、測定する
Obligation : 義務、債権、債務
Exclude : 排除する
Capital investment : 資本投資
