TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's industrial output in November fell 2.3 percent from the previous month, marking the first decline in three months, affected by slowing exports of semiconductor manufacturing devices and cars, government data showed Friday.

The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines was 101.7 against the 2020 base of 100, a preliminary report from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed. It followed a downwardly revised 2.8 percent increase in October.

The ministry maintained its basic assessment of industrial production from the previous month, saying it "fluctuates indecisively," with output expected to rise in December and January, likely led by production machinery and transport equipment.

"We still need to pay close attention to future risk factors such as the movement of the economies of the United States and China," a ministry official said.

Of the 15 industrial sectors covered in the survey, 11, including production machinery and motor vehicles, saw output falls while three, including general-purpose and business-oriented machinery, logged increases. Ceramics, stone and clay products remained flat.

Production machinery contributed significantly to the overall output decline with a 9.1 percent drop due to slipping exports of chip-making devices to China and Taiwan. Output of flat panel display manufacturing equipment also fell due to slumping demand overseas.

Output of motor vehicles sank 4.3 percent, while that of fabricated metal products dropped 5.7 percent.

General purpose and business-oriented machinery, meanwhile, rose 6.4 percent and transport equipment excluding motor vehicles went up 15.2 percent, and petroleum and coal products climbed 2.1 percent.

Based on a poll of manufacturers, the ministry expects output to increase 2.1 percent in December and rise 1.3 percent in January.

In November, the index of industrial shipments dropped 2.7 percent to 99.6, while that of inventories was down 0.9 percent at 101.4.