Japan's wholesale prices increase 7.2 pct in March

STORY: Japan's wholesale prices increase 7.2 pct in March DATELINE: April 13, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:58 LOCATION: Tokyo CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of factories in Japan 2. various of port 3. various of city views in Tokyo STORYLINE: Japan's wholesale price inflation increased in March from a year earlier, although the pace of increase slowed for a third successive month, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) said Wednesday. According to the central bank, wholesale prices in Japan rose 7.2 percent in March from a year earlier, as raw material prices and the yen's weaker tone continue to weigh. The corporate goods price index (CGPI), a gauge of prices for goods and services charged by companies to each other, came on the heels of an 8.3 percent increase booked in February, the data showed, with the latest reading coming in line with economists' expectations. Unlike other major central banks, the BOJ has steadfastly stuck to its pledge of maintaining its ultra-low interest rate policy despite a widening