Japan PMI Manufacturing was finalized at 49.6 in July, down from June’s 49.8. That also marked the second month of concurrent decline in output and new orders. Usamah Bhatti at S&P Global Market Intelligence highlighted the significant role of “quicker deterioration in new order inflows” and also “sustained” decline in production.
Despite these struggles, inflationary pressures showed signs of abating as the rate of input cost inflation was the slowest since February 2021. However, selling price inflation was “unchanged” and “sharp overall” as Japanese manufacturers passed on a portion of higher cost burdens to clients.
The industry displayed robust optimism about the future, with the second-highest positive sentiment recorded in the last 18 months, driven by expectations of a boost in domestic and international demand owing to new product launches and the ongoing mitigation of COVID-19 and inflation-related influences.