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Little scope for near-term optimism on Japan economy
By Fitch Ratings |
November 15, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
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THE contraction in Japanese economic activity in the third quarter highlights a weak near-term economic outlook. Forward-looking indicators give little scope for optimism regarding fourth quarter performance, and we are likely to trim our 2012 growth forecast from 2.1 percent when we update our Global Economic Outlook next month.
Japanese GDP shrank at an annualized rate of 3.5 percent in July-September - the first quarterly contraction since the fourth quarter of 2011. A 5 percent quarter-on-quarter fall in exports contributed to the decline, alongside falls in private consumption and private capital investment. GDP estimates can be revised heavily in the second release, but the overall picture of contraction is unlikely to change.
A further contraction in the fourth quarter of 2012 seems possible, which would technically take Japan into recession. Export performance has traditionally been a fair guide to the next quarter's investment. September saw the sharpest quarter-on-quarter drop in industrial production (-6.6 percent) since the first quarter of 2009, barring the aftermath of March 2011's Great East Japan Earthquake.
The Cabinet Office's composite leading indicator has also weakened at the sharpest pace since the first quarter of 2009 (again, excluding the earthquake period), and consumer confidence fell in October. The recent fresh monetary stimulus from the Bank of Japan may help growth recover if it succeeds in weakening the yen for a sustained period, although this has not happened after other recent episodes of monetary stimulus.
A key near-term domestic threat to the economy has been the failure to pass legislation authorizing Japanese government bond issuance for deficit financing. Fresh discussions began last week, and press reports Tuesday said that the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and the two main opposition parties had agreed to pass the bill. In an extreme case, failure to pass the bill could have prevented deficit spending worth about 8 percent of GDP.
External risks to Japan's heavily export-dependent economy abound, however. The dispute with China could continue to damage exports to Japan's biggest trading partner. Meanwhile, the eurozone crisis and the US fiscal cliff may also weigh on the economy.
Under pressure
Japan's sovereign credit profile is under pressure from high and rising government indebtedness, and previous analysis by Fitch has shown how public finances are vulnerable to minor shifts in economic and financial conditions.
We downgraded Japan's Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings to "A+" with a Negative Outlook in May, and these ratings incorporate an expectation of weak GDP growth - both real and nominal. A formal move back into recession in the fourth quarter of 2012 would not in itself be a negative rating trigger.
The central issue for Japan's sovereign rating remains fiscal policy, and the leisurely pace of fiscal consolidation under the current plans. The Fiscal Management Strategy adopted in June 2010 is subject to political risk, and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has promised to call a national election "soon" to secure opposition support for elements of the program. New elections would be key to determining how fiscal policy develops. Further political volatility would increase Fitch's concerns about the ability of the Japanese political system to deliver policies geared toward fiscal sustainability.
The article originally appeared on the Fitch Wire credit market commentary page and can be accessed at www.fitchratings.com. All opinions are those of Fitch Ratings.
Japanese GDP shrank at an annualized rate of 3.5 percent in July-September - the first quarterly contraction since the fourth quarter of 2011. A 5 percent quarter-on-quarter fall in exports contributed to the decline, alongside falls in private consumption and private capital investment. GDP estimates can be revised heavily in the second release, but the overall picture of contraction is unlikely to change.
A further contraction in the fourth quarter of 2012 seems possible, which would technically take Japan into recession. Export performance has traditionally been a fair guide to the next quarter's investment. September saw the sharpest quarter-on-quarter drop in industrial production (-6.6 percent) since the first quarter of 2009, barring the aftermath of March 2011's Great East Japan Earthquake.
The Cabinet Office's composite leading indicator has also weakened at the sharpest pace since the first quarter of 2009 (again, excluding the earthquake period), and consumer confidence fell in October. The recent fresh monetary stimulus from the Bank of Japan may help growth recover if it succeeds in weakening the yen for a sustained period, although this has not happened after other recent episodes of monetary stimulus.
A key near-term domestic threat to the economy has been the failure to pass legislation authorizing Japanese government bond issuance for deficit financing. Fresh discussions began last week, and press reports Tuesday said that the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and the two main opposition parties had agreed to pass the bill. In an extreme case, failure to pass the bill could have prevented deficit spending worth about 8 percent of GDP.
External risks to Japan's heavily export-dependent economy abound, however. The dispute with China could continue to damage exports to Japan's biggest trading partner. Meanwhile, the eurozone crisis and the US fiscal cliff may also weigh on the economy.
Under pressure
Japan's sovereign credit profile is under pressure from high and rising government indebtedness, and previous analysis by Fitch has shown how public finances are vulnerable to minor shifts in economic and financial conditions.
We downgraded Japan's Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings to "A+" with a Negative Outlook in May, and these ratings incorporate an expectation of weak GDP growth - both real and nominal. A formal move back into recession in the fourth quarter of 2012 would not in itself be a negative rating trigger.
The central issue for Japan's sovereign rating remains fiscal policy, and the leisurely pace of fiscal consolidation under the current plans. The Fiscal Management Strategy adopted in June 2010 is subject to political risk, and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has promised to call a national election "soon" to secure opposition support for elements of the program. New elections would be key to determining how fiscal policy develops. Further political volatility would increase Fitch's concerns about the ability of the Japanese political system to deliver policies geared toward fiscal sustainability.
The article originally appeared on the Fitch Wire credit market commentary page and can be accessed at www.fitchratings.com. All opinions are those of Fitch Ratings.
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