In September this year, Japan's industrial production decreased 4.1 percent from the previous month, showing a month-on-month decrease for the third consecutive month. Japan's industrial output showed a decrease of 8.1 percent from September in the previous year, according to the preliminary indices of the Industrial Production report published by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The main industries which contributed to the decrease in September were respectively transport equipment, general machinery, and iron and steel. The Japanese iron and steel production index in the month in question decreased by three percent year on year, while Japan's seasonally adjusted iron and steel production index fell 5.3 percent in September compared to August. Meanwhile, in September Japanese producers' iron and steel shipments fell by 3.6 percent and iron and steel inventories were up by 2.5 percent, both compared to the previous month.
On the other hand, according to the ministry's preliminary Current Survey of Production report, in September this year Japan produced 6.7 million mt of pig iron, down 6.5 percent, 60,524 mt of ferroalloys, down 11.6 percent, 8.8 million mt of crude steel, down 4.4 percent and 8.6 million mt of semi-finished steel, down 4.2 percent, all compared to August this year.
According to the ministry's Survey of Production Forecast in Manufacturing, Japanese industrial production is expected to decrease 1.5 percent in October and to increase 1.6 percent in November, both month on month.