Japan’s Trade Surplus Up 3.3%: The surplus,...

Japan’s Trade Surplus Up 3.3%: The surplus, measured as goods that have passed customs but before seasonal factors have been accounted for, was $10.91 billion in February, up from $10.57 billion in the previous month, the finance ministry said. The news came as U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor told a House subcommittee that the United States’ second-biggest trading partner must be “dramatically more forthcoming” in its efforts to bring that surplus to heel. But the surplus with the United States, which represents nearly 40% of the total imbalance, declined 0.9% to $4.34 billion, from $4.38 billion a year earlier for the first drop in nine months. The decline follows a rise of 7.0% in January and 17% in December.