TOKYO, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Japan posted a trade surplus of 57.3 billion yen (about 360 million U.S. dollars) in February, ending a two-month streak of deficits, as chip exports to other Asian countries increased, government data showed Wednesday.

Exports rose 4.2 percent year on year to 9.57 trillion yen, up for the sixth consecutive month, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.

Imports jumped 10.2 percent from a year earlier to 9.51 trillion yen, driven by domestic demand for chips and other electronic components, the report said.

The figures reflected trade conditions before the launch of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran at the end of February, a ministry official said. ■