Japan logged a current account surplus in December, the government said in a report on Friday.

According to the Finance Ministry, the current account surplus here stood at 452.8 billion yen (4.12 billion U.S. dollars) in the recording month, with Japan logging a surplus for the 54th straight month.

According to the preliminary figures released by the ministry, Japan had a goods trade surplus of 216.2 billion yen (1.97 billion U.S. dollars) and a services trade deficit of 114.2 billion yen (1.04 billion U.S. dollars), in the recording period.

The ministry also said, the primary income, which reflects returns on investments made overseas booked a surplus of 404.9 billion yen (3.68 billion U.S. dollars).

For 2018, Japan booked a current account surplus of 19.93 trillion yen (181.64 billion U.S. dollars), the ministry's data also showed.

Japan has been running a surplus in the current account, one of the widest gauges of international trade, helped by solid income from foreign investments.

Japan's current account surplus is one of the broadest measure of its trade with the rest of the world.

The data is keenly eyed by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) and the finance ministry ahead of new potential policy changes or monetary easing or tapering measures.

In Japan the current account surplus increases the nation's net foreign assets by the corresponding amount, and a current account deficit does the reverse.

Both the Japanese government and private payments are included in the calculation and it is called the current account because goods and services are generally consumed in the current period.