Japan's factory activity shrinks on tariff woes, services perk up, PMI shows

Reuters - 07:51
Japan's factory activity shrank for the tenth consecutive month in April as confidence among manufacturers dived to almost 5-year lows, dented by worries about U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies, a private-sector survey showed on Wednesday.
TOKYO, April 23 (Reuters) - Japan's factory activity shrank for the tenth consecutive month in April as confidence among manufacturers dived to almost 5-year lows, dented by worries about U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies, a private-sector survey showed on Wednesday.
On the brighter side, the service sector activity returned to growth as customer demand improved further and helped lift sales.

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The au Jibun Bank Japan flash manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) stood at 48.5 in April, a touch above the 48.4 reading in March.
The index has stayed below the 50.0 threshold that separates growth from contraction since July last year.
The subindex for new orders dropped at the fastest pace since February 2024, while the manufacturers' business confidence worsened to its lowest level since June 2020.
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