Japan’s industrial production edged down a seasonally adjusted 0.7 per cent in August from the previous month for the first drop in two months, the Government said on Monday.
The figure, which was slightly below the 0.4 per cent fall predicted by analysts surveyed by the Nikkei business daily, followed a 3.4 per cent rise in July.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry maintained its basic assessment, saying “industrial production shows signs of picking up at a moderate pace.” The index of production at factories and mines stood at 97.2 against a baseline of 100 for 2005, the ministry said.
General machinery, transport equipment and information electronic equipment industries contributed to the bulk of the fall in August, the ministry said.
Manufacturers surveyed by the ministry expected industrial output to jump 5.2 per cent in September and rise 2.5 per cent in October.
The index of industrial shipments edged up 0.4 per cent in August from the previous month to 96.0, and that of industrial inventories inched down 0.1 per cent to 108.6, the ministry said.