Decline in machine orders in December Decreased for the first time in two months 10:52 on February 19, down 12% from the previous month
Orders received by major machine manufacturers, which indicate the outlook for corporate capital investment, fell 12.5% in December of last year, down for the first time in two months, showing a stall.
According to the Statistics on Machinery Orders released by the Cabinet Office, the amount of orders received by major machine manufacturers from domestic companies in December last year was 824.8 billion yen, excluding fluctuating ships and electric power. It fell for the first time in two months, 12.5% below the previous month.
Among these, orders from the “manufacturing industry” increased 4.3%.
On the other hand, “Non-manufacturing” decreased by 21.3%. In the previous month, there was a large order from the transportation industry for railway vehicles and other items, and the decline in December increased accordingly.
Machine orders have continued to decline, except in November, where they increased 18% since July last year.
The Cabinet Office has stated that the keynote decision on machine orders is "stepping down."
The Cabinet Office also announced the forecast for machine orders from January to March, and said that it would be 5.2% lower than the previous three months.
However, the outlook for orders is at the end of last year, and it is feared that the spread of the new coronavirus could further affect corporate capital investment.