国际英语新闻：Japan's industrial production rises 0.3% in July

TOKYO, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Japan's industrial production rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent in July from a month earlier, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report on Tuesday.

The modest rise in factory output in the recording month beat most economists' forecast for a 0.2 percent decline and follows a 1.1 percent drop in June, the ministry noted.

According to the government report, the index of output at factories and mines stood at 95.3 against the base of 100 for 2005 and that of industrial shipments fell 0.1 percent to 96.5.

Meanwhile industrial inventories slipped 0.5 percent to 96.7, the report said.

Economists commented that the yen's rise to 15-year highs against the U.S. dollar has yet to adversely affect factories' output, although companies are expected to have to cut their output in the coming months due to slowing demands from emerging markets and the U.S.

For the full year to July, Japan's factory output rose 14.8 percent and through June 2010, industrial production increased a revised 17.3 percent, the government reported.