経済｜昨年度の経常黒字が過去最大30兆円に / Economy | Last fiscal year’s ordinary surplus reached a record high of 30 trillion yen.

Summary

According to the preliminary balance of payments for the fiscal year 2024 released by the Ministry of Finance, last year’s current account surplus recorded a record high of 30.3771 trillion yen. The surplus is attributed to increased dividends and investment income from overseas subsidiaries, as well as the depreciation of the yen. This is the second consecutive year of record-breaking surplus, which is believed to be influenced by international economic trends.

Dialogue

This dialogue is fictional and based on the article.

Kato (Company Employee): “The ordinary surplus is at its highest ever. What does this mean?”

Shimizu (Economic Commentator): “Yes, the ordinary surplus is an indicator of a country’s economic power, and it signifies that we have a lot of income from overseas.”

Kato: “So, an increase in dividends from overseas subsidiaries is a factor. Is the weak yen also having an impact?”

Shimizu: “That’s right. The weak yen is enhancing the competitiveness of Japanese companies and acting as a factor to increase profits.”

Admin’s Note

The news that last year’s ordinary surplus exceeded 30 trillion yen is very welcome for the Japanese economy. Particularly, I would like to draw attention to the fact that the increase in dividends and investment earnings from overseas are the main factors. The fact that international competitiveness is increasing due to the depreciation of the yen also raises expectations for future growth. However, an increase in the ordinary surplus does not necessarily indicate the health of the domestic economy, so it is necessary to carefully monitor this along with other indicators. I am looking forward to seeing how future economic policies will impact this.