Ministry of Finance. (Mainichi)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's current account surplus shrank 20.1 percent to 1.67 trillion yen ($15 billion) in August from a year earlier, weighed down by a deficit in trade due to higher energy import costs, the Finance Ministry said Friday.

       The surplus marked the first year-on-year fall in six months, though Japan remained in the black for the 86th month, helped by rising primary income, or returns on overseas investments, the ministry's preliminary data showed.

       In August, imports rose more than exports in value terms, translating into a deficit of 372.4 billion yen, the first red ink figure in seven months.

       Crude oil imports saw a roughly 2.2-fold increase in value to 369.5 billion yen while total imports gained 45.9 percent to 6.89 trillion yen.

       Exports rose 27.1 percent to 6.51 trillion yen as shipments of steel and semiconductor-manufacturing equipment were robust, the data showed.

       Still, the impact of supply chain disruptions due to surging coronavirus cases in Southeast Asia began to appear in the reporting month, with car shipments to the United States, China and the European Union falling from a year ago, ministry official said.

       Parts shortages have darkened the outlook for automakers as they have been forced to curb production.

       Japan had a primary income of 2.43 trillion yen, up 7.6 percent, buoyed by increased returns on overseas investments such as investment trusts.

       The service balance came to a deficit of 194.9 billion yen, much smaller than 326.2 billion yen in the red a year earlier, as royalty payments by overseas companies to Japanese firms increased.

       Japan eked out a travel surplus of 14.6 billion yen, down 25.6 percent, after the number of foreign visitors to the nation increased from a year earlier, even though it stood at only 25,900 due to travel restrictions.

       The slight recovery came as athletes and those related to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics visited Japan. The Olympics ran from late July to early August and the Paralympics from late August to early September.

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