Japan Govt Keeps Economic View Unchanged in Jan.

Tokyo, Jan. 22 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government kept its economic assessment unchanged in a monthly report released Thursday. “The Japanese economy is recovering at a moderate pace, while the effects caused from the U.S. trade policies are seen mainly in the automotive industry,” the Cabinet Office said in the January report, expressing the same view for the fifth straight month. Looking ahead, the report said that “attention should be given to downside risks” to the country’s economy, such as those stemming from rising prices and U.S. tariffs. By category, the government kept its views on private consumption at “shows movements of picking up,” business investment at “picking up moderately,” and exports at “almost flat.” Meanwhile, the government downgraded its assessment on the overseas economy for the first time in eight months, considering China’s economic slowdown. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]