TOKYO, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Japanese government data showed Monday the country's industrial output in August decreased by 1.2 percent compared to the previous month mainly due to weak exports and powerful typhoons.
The index of production at factories and mines is seasonally adjusted and stood at 101.5 against the base of 100 in 2015, following a 1.3-percent increase in July, according to a preliminary report by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Due to the weak reading, the ministry said that industrial output has been "in a weak tone recently," downgrading its assessment from the "fluctuates indecisively" used for the past four months.
Apart from being locked in a spat with South Korea over trade issues and wartime history, Japan has been affected by the global trade situation in terms of its exports.
A pair of powerful typhoons that hit the southwestern Kyushu region in August also took a toll on the country's industrial output.
Steel and nonferrous metals were among the industries whose output declined the most, followed by production machinery and automobiles, while the electronic components and chemical industries were among those with increased output.
