Tokyo - Japan's key machinery orders marked the largest fall on record in November as corporate capital investment shrank amid global economic slowdown, the government said Thursday.

The private-sector machinery orders dropped a seasonally adjusted 16.2 per cent from October to 754.2 billion yen (8.44 billion dollars).

The November decline shows a 27.7-per-cent drop in unadjusted terms from the same month a year before.

Orders from manufacturers were down by 33.2 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms to 283.4 billion yen, and orders from non-manufacturers were slightly up by 0.5 per cent to 485.2 billion yen compared to those in October.

The key machinery orders, excluding those for ships and power equipment, are considered a main indicator of corporate capital spending about six months ahead. (dpa)