Tokyo  - Japan's current-account surplus fell in October by 56.5 per cent from the same month of 2007 to 960.5 billion yen (10.4 billion dollars), the Finance Ministry said Monday in Tokyo.

It was the eighth consecutive month with a year-on-year drop.

Japan's goods and services trade surplus ran a deficit of 131.9 billion yen, against a year-before surplus of 853.5 billion yen, the ministry said in a preliminary report.

The surplus in merchandise trade declined 87.2 per cent to 145.8 billion yen, with exports down 7.3 per cent to 6.593 trillion yen and imports up 8 per cent to 6.447 trillion yen.

The current account balance is the difference between a country's income from foreign sources and foreign payable obligations, excluding net capital investment. (dpa)