According to preliminary data of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan the index of industrial production increased by 1.5%, after flat in October. Economists had expected an increase of 1.7%. On an annual basis Japan industrial activity grew by 4.6%, much higher than the previous value of -1.4%. Industrial production - an indicator of the volume of production plants, factories and mining enterprises, main indicator of the strength and health of the manufacturing sector. A high value is considered positive for the Japanese currency.
As for the future, the manufacturers expect industrial production growth at about 2.0% in December and 2.2% in January.
The Ministry of Commerce noted that industrial production is gaining momentum on the back of export growth and improving global demand.