Japan industrial output in Feb. falls 2.1%, Iran conflict clouds outlook

Japan's industrial output in February fell 2.1 percent from the previous month, the first contraction in three months, dragged down by weak output in the motor vehicle sector, government data showed Tuesday, with the impact of the Iran conflict likely to be felt in the coming months.The decrease followed an upwardly revised expansion of 4.3 percent in January. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry maintained its basic assessment of industrial production from the month before, saying it "fluctuates indecisively."Output dropped in 12 of the 15 sectors, falling 3.6 percent in the motor v…READ FULL ARTICLE