Japan revises April-June growth data up to 3 percent

The Japanese economy grew at a robust annual rate of 3 percent in April-June on the back of healthy capital spending, according to revised government data released Monday.

The revision is an upward change from the 1.9 percent annual rate from an earlier preliminary reading, and a reversal from the 0.6 percent annual contraction rate in January-March.

That contraction had ended two years of continual expansion, the longest stretch in nearly three decades for Japan.

The annual rate of growth is what the pace would have been if that quarterly number had continued for a year. The data are for real gross domestic product, or GDP, the total value of a nation's goods and services.

Junichi Makino, chief economist at SMBC Nikko Securities, said the recovery momentum is better than expected, and will likely continue as electronics, auto and chemical sectors invest more, and consumer spending holds up.

He said despite worries about President Donald Trump's tariff policies, some targeting Japan, the impact appeared to be minimal so far.

The Trump administration has imposed tariffs this year on imports of steel and aluminum from many countries, including Japan.

It is also threatening tariffs on Japanese autos and auto parts. The damage to the Japanese economy from the auto tariffs is expected to be greater than the action on steel and aluminum.

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