Trade Industry: Output and Chemical Sector

trade industry: The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, however, kept its basic assessment unchanged as output rose on a year-on-year basis, saying industrial production shows signs of improving, according to The Japan Times. The index of output at factories and mines stood at 99.8 against the base of 100 in 2010, METI said in a preliminary report. With several economic indicators suggesting that private spending has been tepid, a downturn in output may provide another headache for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government, which has been aiming to beat chronic deflation by boosting domestic demand. In January, output in the transport equipment sector dropped 4.7 percent from a month earlier, and that in the chemical sector, excluding pharmaceutical products, fell 3.5 percent. The index of industrial shipments slid 0.4 percent to 98.5, while that of inventories was flat at 107.5. Manufacturers polled in the survey said they expect output to rise 3.5 percent from the previous month in February but drop 5.0 percent in March. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.