Japan's current account surplus probably rose in February from a year earlier as strong exports boosted the trade surplus and increasing overseas travel narrowed the services deficit, a Reuters poll showed on Friday.
The 25 economists surveyed produced a median forecast for a surplus of 2.0 trillion yen ($18.8 billion), a rise of 35.6 percent from a year earlier.
Forecasts ranged from 1.4877 trillion to 2.1980 trillion yen.
Surging exports of cars, electronics, steel and other goods to China and Asia as well as an increase in exports to Europe will lift the trade component of the data, analysts said.
At the same time the services deficit will likely decline thanks to a steady pick-up in the number of Japanese travelling overseas over the same period last year, when concern about the build-up to the Iraq war deterred many would-be tourists.
"In terms of the trade balance, exports will broaden out beyond the firmness in car sales to Europe and materials sales to China they have relied on to include an increase in exports of digital products to the US and Europe," said Kazuhiro Oshima, economist at Mitsubishi Research Institute.
"The services deficit could also start to turn positive in parts after security risks have kept tourism in check." Mitsubishi Research forecasts a surplus of 2.0967 trillion yen, up 42.2 percent on year.
The data will be released on Monday, April 12 at 8:50 am (2350 GMT on Sunday, April 11).
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