Japan's current account surplus in August fell 4.8 percent from a year earlier to 3.78 trillion yen ($24.9 billion), weighed down by decreased returns on foreign investments, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.

The country's primary income, including dividends and interest earnings from overseas investments, dropped 11.5 percent to 4.30 trillion yen, the ministry said in a preliminary report.

Among other key components, the goods trade recorded a surplus of 105.9 billion yen, a turnaround from red ink, reported Kyodo News.

Exports fell 0.4 percent to 8.36 trillion yen, while imports decreased 6.0 percent to 8.25 trillion yen.