Japan’s industrial production fell a seasonally adjusted 3.3 per cent in June from the previous month for the first decline in five months, the government said on Tuesday.
The figure, which was worse than the 1.5-per-cent decrease predicted by analysts surveyed by the Nikkei business daily, followed a 1.9-per-cent rise in May.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, however, 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 94.5 against a baseline of 100 for 2005, the ministry said.
Transport equipment, electronic parts and devices and general machinery industries contributed to the bulk of the decrease in June, the ministry said.
Manufacturers surveyed by the ministry expected industrial output to jump 6.5 per cent in July and edge down 0.9 per cent in August, the ministry said.
The ministry also said that the index of industrial shipments dropped 3.4 per cent in June from the previous month to 93.5, and that of industrial inventories were unchanged at 107.