Japan posted a current account surplus for the sixth straight month in July, as cheaper energy imports are reducing the trade deficit.
Finance Ministry officials say the surplus stood at almost 2.8 trillion yen, or about 19 billion dollars, up about 13 billion dollars from a year earlier.
The cost of energy resources from overseas such as crude oil and liquefied natural gas fell, leading to a decrease in the overall value of Japan's imports.
The trade balance turned into a surplus of about 464 million dollars, an increase of 8.5 billion dollars from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, the primary income surplus came to about 24 billion dollars.
That figure includes dividends and interest income that Japanese firms receive from their foreign subsidiaries. Income from bonds increased as interest rates abroad went up.