Japan's January industrial output up 2.2% on month on strong autos

Japan's industrial output in January rose 2.2 percent from the previous month, marking the first expansion in three months, driven by strong production of automobiles and plastic-related goods, government data showed Friday.The increase followed a contraction of 0.1 percent in December. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry maintained its basic assessment of industrial production from the month before, saying it "fluctuates indecisively."The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines stood at 104.0 against the 2020 base of 100, the ministry said in a preliminary re…READ FULL ARTICLE