TOKYO : Japan's current account surplus widened in March, finance ministry data showed on Thursday, easing some concerns about dwindling balance of payment as hefty gains in investment incomes more than offset surging fuel costs.
Higher oil import costs offset gains in investment income, with continuing uncertainty due to the Ukraine crisis and COVID-19 pandemic, data showed on Thursday. The data also highlights the change in Japan's economic structure as the country earns hefty returns from its past investments in securities and direct investment overseas, which have replaced trade as the main driver of its current account surplus in recent years.