The nation's industrial output in December rose 0.3 percent from the previous month, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report released Jan. 29.The ministry reported that the nation's production activities are now "on the rise." The adverb "moderately," used in every monthly report since February 1996 to describe the rise, was not used in the new report.The production index for mines and factories, which is compared against 100 in the 1990 base year, came to a seasonally adjusted 100.4, according to the report. The nation's production is expected to mark a considerable rise in January, then drop in February, according to the report. The shipment index in December stood at 102.5, remaining unchanged from the previous month, while the inventory index dropped 0.4 percent to 107.0.
