Japan Leading Economic Index Dives 4.2 Points in April

   Tokyo, June 6 (Jiji Press)--Japan's composite index of leading economic indicators for April tumbled 4.2 points from March, logging the largest decline since April 2020, when the country was plunging into the COVID-19 crisis, the Cabinet Office said Friday.
   The leading CI, a yardstick for the performance of the economy months ahead, stood at 103.4 against 100 for the base year of 2020, the government agency said in a preliminary report.
   The drop was affected by the high tariff policy of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, which weakened consumer sentiment.
   Eight of the nine component indicators available in the preliminary report, such as stock prices and consumption-related data, made negative contributions to the April index. Among the eight, the inventory rate index for final demand goods worsened on sluggish automobile shipments.
   An official of the Cabinet Office said that the U.S. tariffs pushed down the leading index by increasing uncertainty.

(2025/06/06-21:42)