The nation's trade surplus increased in February for the first time in 11 months, as exports -- especially to the rest of Asia -- expanded more than imports, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.

Fueled by brisk demand elsewhere in Asia for semiconductors and fax machines, Japan's overall trade surplus surged 26.8 percent to 1.18 trillion yen, according to customs-cleared figures on merchandise trade.

The politically sensitive trade surplus with the United States also soared, by 66 percent to 687.3 billion yen, for the first upturn in three months.