TOKYO - Japan booked a trade surplus of 584.5 billion yen ($3.9 billion) in February, returning to the black for the first time in two months, government data showed Wednesday.

The surplus, the largest since March 2021, was driven by strong auto and semiconductor-related demand as exports grew 11.4 percent year-on-year to a record 9.19 trillion yen for the month, according to preliminary trade data released by the Ministry of Finance.

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Meanwhile, total imports dropped 0.7 percent to 8.61 trillion yen, marking the first decline in three months, the data showed.

By destination, Japan's trade surplus with the United States climbed 29.3 percent from a year earlier to 918.85 billion yen, hitting a record for February, as exports grew 10.5 percent to 1.9 trillion yen while imports fell 2.7 percent to 985.88 billion yen.

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Exports to China gained 14.1 percent to 1.54 trillion yen while imports dropped 3.5 percent to 1.73 trillion yen, resulting in a 186.8 billion yen trade deficit, down 57.4 percent from the year before.

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A deficit of 222.48 billion yen was logged with the European Union, remaining in the red for the 13th consecutive month.