The country's industrial output fell for a third straight month in July, as factory activity struggled to pick up due to slowing exports and flooding that disrupted production. This was compounded by global trade tensions that cloud the export-reliant economy's outlook.
Trade ministry data, released Friday, showed factory output fell 0.1 percent in July from the previous month, undershooting economists' median estimate of a 0.2 percent rise, following declines of 1.8 percent in June and 0.2 percent in May.
Manufacturers surveyed by the trade ministry expect output to rise 5.6 percent in August and 0.5 percent in September.