Japan Jan trade surplus 4.4bln yen

TOKYO, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Japan posted a trade surplus of 4.4 billion yen ($36.41 million) in January, reversing a deficit of 354 billion yen the same month a year earlier, government data showed on Thursday.

The figure compared with analysts' median forecast of a deficit of 150 billion yen.

Japan logged its first monthly trade deficit in five years in January last year, as exports slowed due to New Year holidays in Japan and the Lunar New Year elsewhere in Asia.

Exports in January rose 18.9 percent from a year earlier to 5.9533 trillion yen, while imports were up 10.9 percent at 5.9489 trillion yen, data from the Ministry of Finance showed.

Exports to the United States grew 5.5 percent from a year earlier to 1.2541 trillion yen, while those to China rose 50.8 percent to 893.5 billion yen.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the overall trade surplus rose 52.5 percent from the previous month to 1.086 trillion yen, the data showed.