TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's industrial output in August fell 3.3% from the previous month, partly due to a powerful typhoon that affected car production, government data showed Monday.
The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines was 99.7 against the 2020 base of 100, a preliminary report from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed. It followed an upwardly revised 3.1% increase in July.
Based on the expansion in July and decline in August, the ministry retained its basic assessment of industrial production from the previous month, saying it was fluctuating "indecisively."
Companies' production plans suggest output will recover in September and October, a ministry official said, adding it remains difficult to predict the future trend.
Of the 15 industrial categories surveyed, 12 saw decreased output while 3 logged increases.
Motor vehicles contributed significantly to the output decline with a 10.6% fall on month, as operations were suspended for days at more than a dozen Toyota Motor Corp. plants due to Typhoon Shanshan.
The electrical machinery, and information and communication electronics equipment sector logged a decline of 6.2%, while production machinery, such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment, decreased 4.6%.
Meanwhile, production of transport equipment other than motor vehicles expanded 6.8%, and electronic parts and devices grew 2.2%.
The index of industrial shipments dropped 4.0% to 97.6, while that of inventories declined 0.6% to 102.4.
Based on a poll of manufacturers, the ministry expects output to grow 2.0% in September and rise 6.1% in October.
