According to the Japan Textile Machinery Association, the nation’s production of textile machinery was firm in March 2020 compared to the same month of last year, but exports and imports posted decreases. First-quarter figures showed decreases for production, exports and imports compared to the year before.
Based on statistics from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), textile machinery production rose 0.2% over the same month of last year to 14,859 million yen. Meanwhile, production during January-March 2020 decreased by 8.4% year-on-year to 39,471 million yen. Production sharply increased for fiber making, spinning and knitting machinery on monthly and quarterly bases.
Based on Ministry of Finance (MOF) trade statistics, exports fell by 13.2% in March to 18,113 million yen, and by 11.9% during January-March 2020 to 49,800 million yen. Exports of spinning machinery increased on monthly and quarterly bases.
Textile machinery imports dropped 21.7% in March to 2,671 million yen, and 28.1% during the first quarter to 7,480 million yen. Under such circumstances, imports of looms sharply increased by 66.2% in March to 145 million yen, and by 107% during the first quarter to 422 million yen.
(See Statistics section for figures on Japan’s textile machinery production, exports and imports.)
