Japan's industrial production rises to an all-time high in November

The data showed that industrial production in Japan rose for the second consecutive month by 7.2% in November after rising by 1.8% in October, the largest rise since 2013 when comparable data became available for the first time amid support for increased production of cars and plastic products.

Production of cars and other vehicles rose 43.1% in November, and Toyota Motor Co., the largest Japanese automaker, said last week that it would suspend production at five domestic plants in January due to supply problems and the health crisis. The data showed that the production of plastic products rose 9.5% in November, the output of durable consumer goods rose 39% in November, and manufacturers expect industrial production to rise by 1.6% in December and by 5.0% in January.