Japan's industrial output in January declined 7.5 percent from the previous month, the biggest fall since May 2020, as automobile production plunged amid suspensions at Toyota Motor Corp. group companies due to safety test scandals, government data showed Thursday.

The industry ministry revised down its basic assessment for the first time in six months, saying industrial output "showed weakness while fluctuating indecisively." It said last month that production in December was "fluctuating indecisively"

The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines stood at 97.6 against the 2020 base of 100, the ministry said in a preliminary report. It followed a 1.4 percent expansion in December.

Of the 15 sectors covered by the survey, 14 reported reduced production while one logged an increase, with output in the automobile industry dropping 17.8 percent.

A ministry official attributed the decline to output halts at Toyota Motor group companies Daihatsu Motor Co. and Toyota Industries Corp. following a series of safety test scandals.

The index of industrial shipments dropped 8.3 percent to 96.2 for the first decline in two months, while that of inventories fell 1.8 percent to 101.0.

Based on a poll of manufacturers, the ministry expects production to expand 4.8 percent in February and climb 2.0 percent in March.

==Kyodo

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