26 November 1998: The output of sheet glass in Japan in August fell 18.5% from a year ago to 2.182 million boxes, extending the previous nine months of year-on-year declines, the Japan Sheet Glass Ass…
26 November 1998: The output of sheet glass in Japan in August fell 18.5% from a year ago to 2.182 million boxes, extending the previous nine months of year-on-year declines, the Japan Sheet Glass Association said. Shipments totalled 2.061 million boxes, down 9.9% and the 14th straight month of year-on-year declines. The decline reflects weak housing starts and cutbacks in automobile output, although inventories fell below last year“s levels. Inventories dropped 18.9% from a year earlier to 4.457 million boxes in August, the third consecutive month in which inventories were lower than the same month last year. Output for the first eight months of the year totaled 16.741 million boxes, down 23.1% from the year-earlier period, while shipments fell 14% to 18.185 million boxes, the officials added.