Economics
Japan's Industrial Output Falls as Weak Exports Sap Demand
- Lunar New Year, Toyota shutdown hurt February production
- Forecasts for March, April see pickup as car output resumes
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Japan’s industrial production dropped the most since the March 2011 earthquake as falling exports sapped demand and a steel-mill explosion halted domestic car production at Toyota Motor Corp.
Output slumped 6.2 percent in February after rising in January, the trade ministry said on Wednesday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast a 5.9 percent drop. The government projects output will expand 3.9 percent this month.