Japan’s machinery orders head south

In June, Japan's core machinery orders inched down at the fastest tempo for six months. The Asian country’s companies actually expect another moderate sag in the third quarter because capital expenditure might speed down, especially as international trade concerns strengthen.

The 8.8% dive in core machinery orders, which appears to be a highly volatile data traditionally employed as a major gauge of capital spending, surpassed the median forecast of a 1.3% slump in a Reuters survey, marking the most impressive dip since December last year.

Polled by the Cabinet Office, Japanese manufacturers have predicted that core orders are going to head south nearly 0.3% from July to September after a 2.2% jump in April-June.

Apparently, the machinery orders that showed up just a day before data anticipated to demonstrate that the Japanese economy kept expanding in the second quarter because of firm consumer spending as well as capital expenditure might drive the BOJ’s worries as for future surge.

Some market experts suggested that the Japanese economy will keep ascending, although at a slower tempo.

As a matter of fact, in June, orders from manufacturers slipped by nearly 15.9% following May’s 1.3% jump. At the same time, service-sector orders went down by 7% in contrast with a 0.2% leap in May.

Additionally, the Cabinet Office had its assessment of machinery orders lowered, telling that a revival in orders has frozen.

In the second quarter, the country’s GDP is anticipated to have soared at an annualized rate of about 1.4%, as the Reuters survey of 16 market experts disclosed.

In January-March, Japan’s economy sank at an annualized rate of about 0.6%, thus marking the end of the 8-quarter winning marathon.

However, risks to the outlook are still actual because US leader’s protectionist trade stance and his threats to slap duties on imported cars and auto parts worsen the prospect for the Japanese export-reliant economy.