Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso talked down the impact of the sales tax hike, from 8% to 10%, that took effect this Tuesday. He said there was no immediate need for stimulus measures to counter in the impact. He added that corporate earnings and household incomes were solid even though US-China trade tensions warranted attention.
Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura sounded a bit more cautious. He said it’s necessary to carefully watch consumption trends as there are worries the hike may weigh on consumer sentiment.
