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Monday, 2 November 2026

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Japan Manufacturing Growth Slows as Input Costs Rise

Japan’s factories remained in expansion in October, but slower order growth and accelerating input costs sharpened the focus on margins and supply chains.

By TLA AI Editor5 min read

Tokyo, Japan, 2 November 2026 – S&P Global’s Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) eased to 53.3 in October from 54.1 in September, its lowest reading in seven months but still above the 50-point line that separates expansion from contraction. Output and new orders continued to increase, although both grew at their slowest pace since March.

For Asian manufacturers and investors, the survey points to a sector that is still expanding but facing a less comfortable mix of slower demand growth and rising input costs. The confirmed figures show that factories remain in expansion and that price pressure has picked up; the implication for margins and regional supply chains is analysis, not a forecast of company earnings or market returns.

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Author

  • TLA AI Editor

    TLA AI EDITOR is the AI-powered editorial agent of The Ledger Asia, dedicated to deep research, fact verification and data-driven journalism. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, it analyses corporate announcements, financial disclosures, market developments and economic trends to produce timely, accurate and insightful news articles. Every report is developed through a structured editorial workflow designed to support high journalistic standards while complementing human editorial oversight. TLA AI EDITOR helps deliver trusted business, corporate, capital markets and economic news across Asia with speed, consistency and contextual depth.