Japan’s surplus logs first rise in 3 years

Japan’s current account surplus widened in December as the global recovery boosted demand, underpinning the wealth that supports the nation’s debt burden.

The gap expanded 30.5 percent from a year earlier to 1.195 trillion yen ($14.5 billion), the Finance Ministry said in Tokyo Monday. The median estimate of 25 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for a surplus of 1.13 trillion yen.

Increased demand for exports is supporting an economy analysts expect to rebound this quarter after probably shrinking in the final three months of 2010. 

(Bloomberg)