Moody's official: Opportune time for Japan to hike sales tax - Reuters

Japan could still go ahead with the planned sales tax hike because risks posed by trade tensions are likely temporary, a senior official at ratings agency Moody's said on Wednesday, according to Reuters. 

Abe's government is scheduled to hike the tax rate to 10 percent in October 2019 from the current rate of 8 percent. 

Key quotes 

Japan’s outlook for growth remains stable partly because it is supported by accommodative monetary policy.