Japan Machinery Orders Fall 12.4% in May

Jul 15, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Japan's core machinery orders fell 12.4% in May from the previous month to 962 billion yen, marking the first decline in two months, the Cabinet Office said on July 15.

The figure, which excludes volatile orders for ships and electricity utilities, is regarded as a leading indicator of corporate capital spending.

Despite the sharp decline, the Cabinet Office maintained its assessment that machinery orders are "showing signs of recovery," noting that the May result followed an 8.7% increase in April and reflected a single month's movement.

Orders from manufacturers fell 14.9% to 437.2 billion yen, while orders from nonmanufacturers declined 9.3% to 516.9 billion yen.

Source: テレ東BIZ

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