TOKYO, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Japan's core machinery orders, a key indicator of capital spending, rose for the third consecutive quarter in the April-June period, government data showed Wednesday.
According to the Cabinet Office, core private-sector orders, which exclude those for ships and electric utilities, grew 0.4 percent from the previous quarter to 2.77 trillion yen (about 18.7 billion U.S. dollars) on a seasonally adjusted basis.
By sector, orders from manufacturers climbed 1.5 percent, supported by nonferrous metals, petroleum and coal products, and large projects in the chemical industry.
In contrast, orders from automakers and related parts suppliers fell 11.3 percent, logging a second straight quarterly decline, with firms citing concerns over U.S. tariff measures.
Non-manufacturers posted a 0.9-percent increase, led by orders for computers from the transport, postal, and telecommunications industries, while demand for agricultural machinery such as tractors also remained firm.
The Cabinet Office maintained its assessment that machinery orders are "showing signs of picking up." ■
