Japan’s industrial production fell -0.9% mom in November, marking the first decrease in three months. This drop, however, was less severe than the expected -1.6% mom decline. A notable factor in the contraction was -2.5% mom fall in motor vehicle production. Among the 15 sectors surveyed, 11 reported decreased production, while four sectors experienced increases.
Index of industrial shipments also dropped by -1.3% mom, aligning with overall decline in industrial production. Conversely, Index of inventories saw a marginal increase of 0.1% mom.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry maintained its assessment of industrial output as “fluctuating indecisively.” Looking ahead, manufacturers expect a rebound in output by 6.0% mom in December, followed by -7.2% mom decrease in January 2023.
An METI official said, “We’ll continue to monitor the impact of the global economic downturn and rising prices”.
In separate release, retail sales data painted a more positive picture. Sales in November rose 5.3% yoy, exceeding forecast of 5.0% yoy, and marked the 21st consecutive month of expansion since March 2022. On a month-on-month basis, retail sales grew 1.0%, following 1.7% growth in October.
