Toyota and other carmakers are enjoying success in the US

Japan posted a surplus of 955.7bn yen ($8.17bn; �4.6bn) last month, as exports to China and the US improved.

The surplus, although slightly lower than market expectations, marked a return to the black after Japan saw a surprise 348bn yen deficit in January.

This was largely due to the Lunar holiday season and high oil prices, although the latter remain a factor.

Improving picture

Although an improvement on January's figures, February's surplus was 12% lower than in the same month last year.

The value of exports rose a healthy 21% year-on-year to 5.8 trillion yen, as trade to other Asian economies picked up and Japanese cars continued to prove popular in the US.

The strength in exports is more indicative of the nation's recovery Soichi Okuda, Sumitomo Shoji Research

Imports rose faster, however, gaining 30% to 4.89 trillion yen on the back of higher oil costs.

Japan's deficit with China fell to $97.4m in February - 90% lower than this time last year - while its surplus with the US rose 9.6% to $6.3bn.

The Japanese economy has recovered over the past year, boosting domestic demand and improving the outlook for exporters.

The Bank of Japan recently announced plans to tighten its longstanding 'ultra-loose' monetary policy, indicative of the upturn in output.

"Exports are improving but oil prices continue to keep import prices high," Soichi Okuda, senior economist at Sumitomo Shoji Research, said of the latest figures.