Sharp fall in Japan's machinery orders underlines uncertainty

Tokyo

JAPAN'S core private-sector machinery orders fell by a surprisingly sharp 5.1 per cent between October and November, dragged down by an apparent drop in Japanese business confidence, the government reported on Monday.

Data from the Cabinet Office indicated that these orders fell to just under 834 billion yen (S$10.4 billion) in November. The office said in its basic assessment that machinery orders had been picking up, but had come to a standstill.