TOKYO -- Automakers, machinery builders and other manufacturers slashed investment even more sharply toward the end of 2019, accelerating the trend for a year dominated by worries about slowing global growth and the U.S.-China tariff disputes.
Orders for machine tools came to 89.9 billion yen ($817 million) in December, plunging 33.6% on the year and declining for the 15th straight month, the Japan Machine Tool Builders' Association said Wednesday.
