Industrial output in March dropped 2.3 percent, marking the second consecutive monthly decline, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry said in a report released Wednesday.
The production index for the nation's mines and factories came to a seasonally adjusted 99.9, down 5.1 percent from a year before. With this report, the base year index of 100 has been changed from 1990 to 1995, and previously announced figures have been adjusted accordingly to enable comparisons.
The production index for March was revised downward by 0.1 percentage point from a preliminary report. The shipments index dropped 1.4 percent to 101.2, compared to a 1.9 percent preliminary decrease, according to the report.
The inventories index was down 0.4 percent to 108.4, compared to the 0.2 percent preliminary drop, while the inventories ratio index slipped 1.3 percent to 112.9, compared to a 0.4 percent preliminary decrease.