TOKYO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Japan's industrial output dropped 0.1 percent in April from a month earlier, government data showed on Friday.

The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines in the reporting month stood at 101.6 against the 2020 base of 100, reversing a 4.4 percent rise in March, preliminary data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed.

The ministry attributed the overall decline to the production decrease in the transport equipment industry while citing the impact of the production halt in the automobile sector.

The index of industrial shipments gained 0.2 percent to 100.6, while that of inventories slipped 0.5 percent to 102.1.

Overall, in the reporting period, seven of the 15 surveyed sectors reported a decline in output, with industries of transport equipment and automobiles leading the contraction.

The government maintained its basic assessment that industrial production in Japan "showed weakness while fluctuating indecisively."

Based on a poll of manufacturers, the ministry expects output to grow 6.9 percent in May and to fall 5.6 percent in June. Enditem

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