Japan reported another rise in its trade surplus.

The Finance Ministry said the surplus for February was $7.13 billion, nearly double the $3.94 billion a year before and well above the $4.30 billion in January of this year. But the figure was below the record $9.80 billion of last September. Japanese exports to the United States totaled $6.21 billion in February and imports increased 11.5% to $2.24 billion, putting the surplus with the United States, a cause of friction, at $3.97 billion. The surplus was $3.73 billion in February, 1986, and $3.28 billion in January this year.