Japan's current account surplus rose in the first half of 2023 from the same period last year, mainly due to a fall in the price of energy imports.

The Finance Ministry said on Tuesday that the surplus for the six months through June stood at 8.1 trillion yen, or about 56 billion dollars. That's up about 5.6 billion dollars from the same period last year.

The current account is a key indicator of trade and investment with the rest of the world.

The trade deficit shrank by about 3.3 billion dollars, to a total of around 36.2 billion dollars. Auto exports grew, while import prices of crude oil and liquefied natural gas declined.

The primary income balance was 122.7 billion dollars in the black -- a record for the first half of the year. Higher overseas interest rates led to bigger gains from foreign bond-holdings.

Meanwhile, the current account balance for June registered a surplus of about 10.5 billion dollars, up 7 billion dollars year-on-year. The trade balance was positive for the first time in 20 months, while the travel surplus surged on a rise in the number of foreign visitors.