Japanese government data released today, Wednesday, showed a decline in Kuwait's trade surplus with Japan in February for the first time in two months, dropping by 47 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 44.1 billion yen (275 million US dollars), due to weak exports.  

The data, included in a preliminary report by Japan's Ministry of Finance, noted that Kuwait's trade surplus with Japan has remained positive for 17 years and one month, as exports continue to exceed imports in value.  

The report added that Kuwait's total exports to Japan in February fell for the first time in two months, declining by 31.0 percent year-on-year to 70.1 billion yen (447 million US dollars). Meanwhile, Kuwait's imports from Japan rose for the third consecutive month, increasing by 41.5 percent to 26.0 billion yen (162 million US dollars).  

The data also revealed that the Middle East's trade surplus with Japan decreased by 19.9 percent, reaching 644.9 billion yen (4.3 billion US dollars) in February, as exports from the region to Japan declined by 9.2 percent compared to the previous year.  

It highlighted that shipments of oil, refined products, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and other natural resources, which accounted for 93.2 percent of the region's total exports to Japan, fell by 12.1 percent. In contrast, the region's total imports from Japan rose by 21.4 percent, driven by demand for vehicles and steel.  

The data indicated that Japan, the world's third-largest economy, recorded a global trade surplus for the first time in two months, amounting to 584.5 billion yen (3.9 billion US dollars) last month.  

Japan's exports rose by 11.4 percent compared to the previous year, supported by sales of vehicles, chip-making equipment, and electronic semiconductor components. Meanwhile, imports fell by 0.7 percent, primarily due to lower costs for crude oil, coal, and non-ferrous metals.  

It is worth noting that China remains Japan's largest trading partner, followed by the United States.