Mista
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I dont see Japan on the data you show, Japan is able to be in the black since 2016 and now since 2021 due to higher energy and commodity prices they are in the red again.
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UNCTADstat - General Profile: Japan
Overview of key economic statistics. The statistical themes covered are: International trade, economic trends, foreign direct investment, external financial resources, population and labor force, information economy and maritime transport.unctadstat.unctad.org
The IMF data refers to current account balances, which takes net primary income (basically net investment returns) into account.
Japan has recorded more trade deficits than surpluses in the past decade.
But they have the largest net primary income in the world. Japanese MNCs are making huge profits from their production in other countries like China, Singapore, or Indonesia (these countries have negative net primary income).
That's why it can be misleading to just look at trade balances, when a large part of that trade surplus can be accrued to foreign companies. For example, Apple products assembled in China count towards China's exports, but the profits are accrued to the US. It's better to refer to current account balances like the IMF data you've cited.
Investment powerhouse Japan earns 10% of GDP from overseas income
Primary income surplus tops world ranking again in 2021
asia.nikkei.com