Japan’s Machinery Orders Fall for First Time in 5 Months

Japan’s Machinery Orders Fall for First Time in 5 Months
A worker is seen at a factory at the Keihin industrial zone in Kawasaki, Japan on March 8, 2017. Toru Hanai/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

Japan’s core machinery orders slipped for the first time in five months in January, a worrying sign for an economy already facing heightened pressure from the Ukraine war and high energy and raw material prices.

The decline in core orders hurts hopes that a pickup in business spending will support private demand in the world’s third-largest economy as firms struggle with surging input prices, a chip shortage and supply disruptions.