The country's overall trade deficit rose to $3.451 billion during the period from $2.838 billion of the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.During the period, export earnings stood at $9.073 billion against the import payments of $12.524 billion, according to the central bank statistics."Due to larger current account transfers of $5.784 billion the current account balance recorded a surplus of $464 million during July-January, 2008-09 against the surplus of $168 million during July-January, 2007-08," the central bank said in its Major Economic Indicators: Monthly Update-March, 2009, released recently.The overall balance also showed a larger surplus of $618 million during the period under review against the deficit of $45 million during July-January period of the previous fiscal, the Monthly Update added.