Japan final manufacturing PMI for March 48.4, a one year low:
- preliminary was 48.3
- prior was 49.0
Comments from the report, bolding is mine:
- “Japan’s manufacturing sector slipped deeper into decline
at the end of the first quarter of 2025, with the headline PMI
hitting a one-year low. Indices for output and new orders
fell further into contraction territory, as companies noted
weaker demand from both domestic and international
clients. - “Employment was a bright spot, as firms hired additional
workers at the fastest pace in three months, amid signs
of slightly stronger optimism around the year ahead.
However, business confidence remained below the
series average, with greater uncertainty over the global
economic outlook and trade environment weighing on
forecasts. Cost pressures also remained a key concern,
and the latest survey showed historically strong increases
in both input costs and selling prices in March, to suggest
inflationary pressure across the sector remains acute.”
The BoJ Tankan earlier was not too bad:
USD/JPY is little changed on the session:
This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at www.forexlive.com.