Japan unexpectedly posted a small trade surplus in January thanks to firm exports to Asia, data showed today.
Japan logged a trade surplus of 4.4 billion yen in January, compared with a deficit of 354 billion yen a year earlier, the Finance Ministry's custom-cleared trade data showed.
Economists' median forecast was for a deficit of 150 billion yen.
Many economists had expected a deficit as Japanese exports tend to slow in January because of New Year holidays.
But figures on Asia-bound exports were probably distorted by the timing of Lunar New Year, which occurred in February this year but in January last year.
In addition, exports to the United States and Europe were not so strong, economists said. Analysts say they need more data to gauge the true strength of exports, a key driving force of Japan's economy.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, the overall trade surplus surged 52.5 per cent from the previous month to 1.086 trillion yen, the data showed. Financial markets showed little reaction to the data.