TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's industrial output in January fell 1.1 percent from the previous month, declining for the third consecutive month, as exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment slowed, government data showed Friday.

The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines was 100.5 against the 2020 base of 100, a preliminary report from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed. It followed a downwardly revised 0.2 percent fall in December.

The ministry maintained its basic assessment of industrial production from the previous month, saying it "fluctuates indecisively," while noting a projected surge in February following the three consecutive months of declines.

The ministry has "not observed any direct impact" of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies on manufacturing trends, but the government will continue to monitor the potential effects on corporate sentiment and earnings, an official said.

Nine sectors, including production machinery, and electronic parts and devices, saw output falls, while six, including autos, and iron, steel and non-ferrous metals, logged increases.

Production machinery output decreased 12.3 percent on month due to sluggish exports of chip manufacturing equipment to China, Taiwan and South Korea. Automobile production grew 6.9 percent amid brisk sales of regular and compact cars, according to the ministry.

Based on a poll of manufacturers, the ministry expects output to increase 5.0 percent in February and then drop 2.0 percent in March.

In January, the index of industrial shipments decreased 1.5 percent to 98.5, while that of inventories was up 0.9 percent at 101.5.