Copyright Koichi Kamoshida, Getty Images
japan-manufacturing-g.jpg
japan-manufacturing-g.jpg
japan-manufacturing-g.jpg
japan-manufacturing-g.jpg
japan-manufacturing-g.jpg

Japan's Industrial Output Falls Flat

Aug. 31, 2016
Production dropped 3.8% from a year earlier, versus projections for a decline of 3.0%.

Japan’s industrial production was unchanged in July, falling short of even the most pessimistic estimates from economists surveyed by Bloomberg.

Output didn’t change in July from June, following a 2.3% gain last month, data from the economy ministry show. The median forecast was for an increase of 0.8%, with estimates ranging from 0.1% to 2.0%. Production dropped 3.8% from a year earlier, versus projections for a decline of 3.0%. Output is forecast to rise 4.1% in August, then fall 0.7% in September.

Big Picture

The output figures come amid growing pressure for the Bank of Japan to expand monetary stimulus at its meeting on Sept. 20-21, and as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe crafts a 28 trillion yen (US$272 billion) fiscal stimulus package. Retail sales numbers released on Tuesday showed consumers are still reluctant to increase spending, despite a slight improvement over previous months. Industrial production has failed to make consistent gains over the past year, especially with the yen’s strength since the start of 2016.

Economist Takeaways

"It’s worse than the market consensus but production isn’t falling, inventory is dropping and companies are expecting a solid production increase," said Taro Saito, director of economic research at NLI Research Institute in Tokyo. "I don’t expect production will clearly gain momentum from here as the yen’s gains make exports unlikely to rise."

"Looking over the July-September period, weak exports and a slowdown in production doesn’t bode well for Japan’s economy," said  Hiroaki Muto, chief economist at Tokai Tokyo Research Center. "Economic growth may not be that strong in the third quarter.”

The Details

Shipments from factories rose 0.9% in July from June, when they advanced 1.7%. Inventories decreased by 2.4%, the biggest drop since March 2011. Shipments of capital goods excluding transport equipment, an indicator of business investment, rose 0.8% in July from June.

By Connor Cislo

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!