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Japan's Firms Raised Capital Spending Ahead of US Tariffs

Japan's Firms Raised Capital Spending Ahead of US Tariffs

Bloomberg02-06-2025
Japanese businesses increased capital investment at a faster pace in the first quarter of this year just as the Trump administration touted the coming tariff campaign that kicked off in March.
Capital expenditure on goods excluding software gained 1.8% in the three months through March from the previous period, when such outlays rose by 1.3%, the Finance Ministry reported Monday. The reading compares with a 1.4% gain in corporate investment reported in the preliminary reading of Japan's gross domestic product. The latest data will be factored into a revised GDP report due for release on June 9.
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