( dpa )- Japan's industrial output dropped 1.2 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms in February compared to the month before, the government said Monday.
The output at mines and factories stood at 108.2 against 100 for the base year of 2005, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a report.
The February figure, which was better than a 2.2-per-cent fall in January and an average market expectation of a 2.1-per-cent drop, came out as a result of weaker demand for semiconductors and paper products.
The ministry expected the industrial production to rise 2 per cent in March and decline 1 per cent in April.