LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japan's February trade surplus ballooned 819% from a year earlier, as exports continued to recover, according to data released Wednesday by the Ministry of Finance.

The trade surplus for the month totaled 651 billion yen ($7.2 billion), above an average forecast of 550 billion yen, as reported by Dow Jones Newswires.

Exports rose 45.3% from a year earlier, gaining speed from January's 40.9% year-on-year gains, even though the February export total was 1.7% less than the previous month's total.

The rise in exports was below a 47.3% forecast from the Dow Jones survey, but did mark the third month of gains.

"Though the year-on-year rise in exports is exaggerated by a base effect in comparison with the collapse a year earlier, it highlights the continued solid recovery trajectory from the [first quarter of 2009] lows, on the turnaround in global export demand," said analysts at Action Economics.

"Amid ongoing sluggish domestic demand, exports remain key for sustaining recovery from the severe Japanese recession," the analysts said.

Shipments to North America were a strong point, rising 50.2% from February 2009, and more than tripling Japan's surplus with the region. Exports to Russia also saw strong growth, rising 90.2% year on year.

On the other side of the trade account, imports were up 29.5% from their year-earlier level, the second consecutive rise after a period of drops. Some of the rise was attributed to higher energy and commodity prices.

Analysts at Crédit Agricole CIB said the robust trade results may not be all good news, however, especially if the results dial down the political pressure to weaken the Japanese yen.

"Unfortunately [the larger-than-forecast trade surplus] is doing little to end Japan's deflation problem," they said.

"Even if there is less urgency for a weaker yen to boost exports, yen weakness will certainly help to reduce deflationary pressures in the economy," the analysts said.