TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s industrial output likely inched up in October, a Reuters poll found on Friday, although widespread disruptions at top automaker Toyota Motor are expected to weigh heavily on the data.
Industrial production likely grew 0.8% in October from the previous month, according to a median estimate of 16 economists, after rising 0.5% in September.
Toyota suspended work at several group factories for varying periods over more than a week last month due to an accident at a supplier’s facility.
“Transportation-related output is highly likely to undershoot plans due to the disruption,” said Chisato Oshiba, an economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute, who forecast a 0.3% fall in October output.
“We expect industrial production to have continued on a weak note, dragged down by a global downturn in demand.”
In September, industrial output only eked out a rise despite a strong recovery in automobile production from disruptions caused the previous month by a typhoon and a system failure at Toyota.
Output of electronic products and devices is expected to have remained strong, another economist said.
The government will release the October industrial output data at 08:50 a.m. on Nov. 30 (2350 GMT, Nov. 29).
(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim and Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Kim Coghill)
