Tokyo, Mar 19 (IANS): Japan achieved a trade surplus of 3.4 billion yen ($32 million) in February, the government said on Monday.

The surplus was the ninth consecutive month with a positive balance for the world's third largest economy, although it contrasts with the surplus of 804.52 billion yen recorded in February 2017, according to data published by the Ministry of Finance.

Exports grew 1.8 per cent year-on-year to 6.46 trillion yen, and imports rose by 16.5 per cent to 6.45 trillion yen, Efe news reported.

Japan had a deficit of 226.826 billion yen with China, its largest trading partner, representing a 77.2 per cent decrease year-on-year.

With the world's largest economy and its second largest trading partner, the US, Japan saw a surplus of 630.890 million yen, a 3.4 per cent increase from the same month of 2017.

With the European Union, its third largest trading partner, Japan saw the surplus increase 15.4 per cent to 46.932 billion yen.