Economy

Japan upgrades Q2 GDP on stronger business spending

Asian economy grew faster than initially estimated

A worker checks a spool of recycled paper at a Corelex Shinei Co. toilet paper factory in Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Photographer: Toru Hanai/Bloomberg

Wed Sep 8 2021 - 07:41

Japan’s economy grew faster than the initially estimated in the April-June quarter, helped by solid capital expenditure, although a resurgence in Covid-19 is undermining service-sector consumption and clouding the outlook.

Revised gross domestic product (GDP) data by the Cabinet Office released on Wednesday showed the economy grew an annualised 1.9 per cent in April-June, beating economists’ median forecast for a 1.6 per cent gain and the initial estimate of a 1.3 per cent expansion. It followed prime minister Yoshihide Suga’s announcement last Friday that he was stepping down, paving the way for the Sept. 29 ruling party leadership race, in which contenders will outline their plans to revive the world’s third-largest economy.

The upward revision was caused by better-than-initially-estimated business spending, as a brisk global economic recovery powered capital expenditure and factory output, which more than offset weak service-sector activity.

Still, Japan's economic recovery remains fragile due to slow Covid-19 vaccinations and as pandemic restrictions hamper private-sector activity. "Japan's recovery is lagging behind other advanced economies. As such, the economy's fully-fledged recovery needs to wait at least until early next year," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute.

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However, global chip shortages may put a drag on Japanese car production and shipments while signs of China's economic slowdown emerge as sources of concern. "The 1.9 per cent April-June growth was not enough to push back the nearly 4 per cent dip in January-March - less than a half of it," said Yoshiki Shinke, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.

“On average, ‘stalling’ could be the main description of Japan’s economy during the first half of 2021.”

The second-quarter GDP growth figures translated into a quarter-on-quarter expansion of 0.5 per cent in price-adjusted terms, better than an initial reading of a 0.3 per cent growth and the median estimate for a 0.4 per cent gain. - Reuters

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