Japan April industrial output up for 1st in 3 months on machinery, chips

TOKYO - Japan's industrial output in April rose 0.8 percent from the previous month, marking the first increase in three months, as gains in machinery and chip-related devices made up for falls in motor vehicles and chemicals, government data showed Friday.

Data showed that the resource-poor country continued to see a fall in naphtha, an oil-derived raw ingredient necessary to make chemicals used in a wide range of products. But an industry ministry official said that the decline in the chemicals sector was due to regular maintenance at the plants.