Japan logs current account surplus

Japan's current account surplus in the first half of 2013 increased by 0.6 percent to $33.27 billion from a year earlier, government data showed Thursday.

For June alone, the surplus in the balance, one of the widest gauges of international trade, stood at $3.49 billion, up for the fifth straight month, reported Xinhua citing the finance ministry report.

The income account, which reflects how much Japan earns from its foreign investments, marked a surplus of $89.90 billion, up by 19.3 percent.

Goods trade saw a deficit of $43.90 billion -- the biggest for any half-year period -- with the value of the Japanese yen's weakening, while imports surged 8.6 percent to $382.39 billion.

Exports for the same period rose 3.5 percent to $338.49 billion.