TOKYO, March 18 Reuters Japan39;s core machinery orders fell more than expected in January on the back of a weak manufacturing sector, data showed on Monday, prompting the government to downgrade its view on the indicator for the first time in more than a year.

The data, released on Monday by the Cabinet Office, follows recent data that highlighted concerns about the sluggish recovery in the world39;s fourthbiggest economy.

It comes as the Bank of Japan BOJ kicks off its twoday monetary policy meeting, although core machinery orders data is unlikely to have a significant bearing on the central bank39;s decision, according to an economist.

Core orders, a highly volatile data series regarded as a leading indicator of capital spending in the six to nine months ahead, fell 1.7 in January from the previous month, the data showed.

The decline was bigger than a 1.0 drop expected by economists in a Reuters poll and followed a 1.9 gain in December.

Weak production against a backdrop of weak demand for goods and production suspension at automakers and uncertainty over the impact of the New Year39;s Day earthquake in Noto Peninsula might have motivated manufacturers to push back capital investment, said Kota Suzuki, an economist at Daiwa Securities.

The risk of a slowdown in future capital investment will be significant, Suzuki said.

The government lowered its view of machinery orders for the first time since November 2022, changing to showing some weakness from stalling….