Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s seasonally adjusted core machinery orders rose 5.2 pct from the previous month in August, the Cabinet Office said Thursday. The private-sector orders excluding those for ships and power equipment, a leading indicator of corporate capital investment, reached 1,069.8 billion yen, driven by robust artificial intelligence-related demand and large orders from nonferrous metal producers. The Cabinet Office maintained its assessment that machinery orders are “showing signs of picking up.” Orders from manufacturers rose 1.6 pct to 527 billion yen. Orders from general-purpose and production machinery makers, including those making semiconductor-manufacturing equipment, climbed 9.3 pct on demand linked to AI and chips. The nonferrous metals industry posted an increase of 2.3 times, reflecting large orders including for heat exchangers for industrial plant use. Aircraft and machine tool orders also expanded. Core orders from nonmanufacturers increased 2.9 pct to 541.3 billion yen, supported by brisk digital investment in the leasing, telecommunications, wholesale and retail sectors. Total machinery orders, including those from the public sector and overseas, fell 3.7 pct to 4,041.9 billion yen as public-sector and external demand weakened. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
