Japan: Current Account Surplus Above Forecasts.

Japan’s current account surplus rose to JPY 4,062.0 billion in August 2026 from JPY 3,628.1 billion in the same month a year earlier, surpassing market expectations for a JPY 3,194 billion surplus. Primary income surplus increased to JPY 5,133.2 billion from JPY 4,222.7 billion a year earlier, while the services deficit narrowed to JPY 115.8 billion from JPY 266.7 billion and the secondary income deficit shrank to JPY 267.7 billion from JPY 441.7 billion. Meanwhile, the goods account shifted to a deficit of JPY 687.7 billion from a surplus of JPY 113.8 billion, as exports rose 16.9%, largely supported by strong demand for AI-related electronics, but imports grew faster at 26.7%, driven partly by higher crude oil purchases. In the first half of 2026, Japan's trade surplus widened to JPY 17.43 trillion from JPY 14.23 trillion in the same period a year earlier.