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Viewing cable 08NAGOYA19, CENTRAL JAPAN ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FALLS FROM VERY GOOD TO GOOD

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08NAGOYA19 2008-04-24 08:32 2011-08-30 01:44 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Consulate Nagoya
VZCZCXRO6789
RR RUEHCHI RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHPB
DE RUEHNAG #0019/01 1150832
ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZDK
R 240832Z APR 08
FM AMCONSUL NAGOYA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0223
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 0016
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0230
RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 0240
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAGOYA 000019 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ETRD PGOV JA
SUBJECT: CENTRAL JAPAN ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FALLS FROM VERY GOOD TO GOOD 
 
 
NAGOYA 00000019  001.4 OF 002 
 
 
Summary 
------------ 
1.  (SBU) The pace of growth in Japan's manufacturing heartland 
has begun to level off.  Regional producers are facing a 
stronger yen, higher prices for inputs, and a slowdown in demand 
in the U.S. market.  Increasing demand from the "BRICs" (Brazil, 
Russia, India and China) is balancing those negative factors, 
though, and while less overwhelmingly positive than it has been 
since about 2003, the overall economic outlook for Central Japan 
remains good.  One impact of the weak dollar may be an increase 
in exports of American-produced, Japanese-make autos.  End 
Summary 
 
Overall Economic Outlook 
--------------------------------- 
 
2.  (U)  Economic growth in Central Japan appears to be leveling 
off.  On April 21 the Finance Ministry's Tokai Region Bureau 
lowered its outlook for the region for the first time in five 
years, saying "the expansion to date has begun to slacken." 
Although the Ministry saw capital investment, housing 
construction, and corporate profits continuing strong, it sited 
weakness in some segments of consumer demand and declining 
public works as negative factors.  Meanwhile, the Ministry said 
the high rate of manufacturing production would continue but 
would level off and exports would continue to increase, but not 
as rapidly as in the recent past. 
 
3.  (U) Manufacturing expansion in Central Japan is generally 
considered one of the key drivers of Japan's current economic 
growth, so a slowdown in the region could have an impact on the 
broader economy.  As of February (the most recent month for 
which METI statistics are available), the industrial output 
index for Central Japan stood at 135.0 (on a base of 100 equal 
to year 2000 output), down for the fourth consecutive month from 
its recent peak of 144.9 last October.  In comparison, the 
nationwide index was at 108.2. 
 
Auto and Other Production 
-------------------------------- 
4.  (SBU)  Central Japan produces about half of all autos 
nationwide.  Auto production in the region has been mixed, up 
just one index point in February to 139.1 (on a year 2000 base 
of 100).  Many observers view prospects for the sector as weak, 
and Toyota's stock has fallen nearly 20 percent since the start 
of 2008, in part due to concerns about decreased sales in the 
U.S. market.  Beyond slowing American demand, Toyota and other 
Central Japan exporters are confronted with the yen's strength 
relative to the dollar.  Toyota Americas Division General 
Manager Shunichi Nakanishi told us Toyota so far focused on 
sales volume over per-vehicle profits and thus refrained from 
raising prices in the American market.  According to Nakanishi, 
Toyota initially projected an overall 2008 American market of 16 
million vehicles but has revised the figure to 15.3 million. 
That drop would represent about 100,000 less U.S. sales for 
Toyota if the company maintains its 16 percent market share. 
Nakanishi said Toyota hopes to absorb that drop by decreasing 
imports from Japan rather than cutting U.S. production. 
However, Toyota has already reportedly begun to cut production 
of pickups in Texas, minivans in Indiana, and trucks in 
California. 
 
5.  (SBU)  Toyota Corporate Auditor Chiaki Yamaguchi told us 
that, despite the negative influence of the strong yen on import 
sales in the U.S., concerns in the press about the impact of 
exchange rates may be overblown.  Yamaguchi says he believes 
even at 100 yen to the dollar, the Japanese currency is not 
particularly overvalued, especially in light of trends in 
consumer prices over the past two decades in the U.S., Europe 
and Japan.  One significance of the weaker dollar, according to 
Yamaguchi, is that at current exchange rates Toyota vehicle 
exports from the U.S. to third countries, particularly in Latin 
America, are becoming economically feasible.  Nakanishi told us 
Toyota sells Tundra pickups produced in Texas in six Latin 
American countries, but has been unable to do so in Venezuela, 
one of the most promising markets, due to a thicket of 
regulations, especially on transactions involving U.S. dollars. 
Likewise, exports to Brazil are hampered by a 35 percent tariff 
and a variety of other taxes on imported vehicles. 
 
6.  (SBU) The rapid increase in fuel and other commodity prices 
has weighed heavily on Central Japan manufacturers as a whole. 
Steel prices are up about 25 percent this year on a 200 percent 
increase in the price of coking coal and a 60 percent rise in 
the cost of iron ore.  Nevertheless, Mitsubishi Trading Nagoya 
Branch General Manager Yoshikuni Kanai told us Nippon Steel 
recorded record production in March on strong orders from 
manufacturers.  Surging economies in the BRICs have had both 
positive and negative impacts on Central Japan.  The same demand 
 
NAGOYA 00000019  002.4 OF 002 
 
 
from China and India that's driving up the prices of inputs for 
regional manufacturers is also pushing increased demand for 
their products.  Nagoya Customs District exports continue to 
increase, despite a consistent decline in exports to the U.S. 
since last July.  That decrease has been overshadowed by a 
strong expansion in exports to Asia, up 15.7 percent 
year-on-year in February.  Machine tool makers, a key sector for 
the regional economy, are reporting particularly strong results. 
 Orders from the EU have risen 30 consecutive months and from 
Asia are up 13 of the past 14 months. 
 
Comment 
------------ 
7.  (SBU) Most of our interlocutors continue to express greater 
concern about the lack of workers, a shortage in good land for 
factory construction, and infrastructure issues than about weak 
external demand as constraints on regional growth.  The 
just-in-time Toyota Production System used by many Central Japan 
manufacturers both inside and outside the auto sector mandates a 
constant flow of parts to suppliers further up the production 
chain.  Concerns that road construction may not keep up with 
demand from industry may thus translate into political support 
for the Fukuda government's efforts to reinstate the gasoline 
tax to help support continuing road construction. 
ROCHMAN