Japan manufacturers stay upbeat on chip demand, services hit by costs

TOKYO, July 15 : Japanese manufacturers' sentiment remained relatively upbeat in July, supported by solid semiconductor demand, while confidence among non-manufacturers fell as the Middle East conflict, a weak yen and rising interest rates pushed up costs, the latest Reuters Tankan survey showed.The monthly poll, a leading indicator of the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan business survey, showed that the manufacturers' sentiment index was unchanged at plus-13 in July from June.Manufacturers reported a recovery in the semiconductor market, including in memory-related demand, as well as rapidly expanding orders for products used in chip applications and AI servers. Orders for electronic components were also rising broadly."Order volumes and values are at levels we've never seen before, and w