(Click on JP/TAN1 for main story)
    TOKYO, April 16 (Reuters) - Sentiment among Japanese
manufacturers strengthened to a more than two-year high in
April, the Reuters Tankan poll found, with strong demand in the
global chip market improving prospects for exporters.
    The Reuters Tankan index readings are derived by subtracting
the percentage of respondents who say conditions are poor from
those who say they are good. A negative reading means that
pessimists outnumber optimists.
    Following is a table of indexes for key sectors and a
comparison with the Bank of Japan's quarterly tankan survey:
    
                      2021                              2020
                      JULY (f'cast) APR  MAR  FEB  JAN  DEC  NOV
 ===============================================================
 MANUFACTURERS               (+13)  +13   +6   +3   -1   -9  -13
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
 (Materials)                  (+2)   +4    0    0  -14  -20  -19
  - Textiles/paper            (-9)  -17  -42  -33  -46  -36  -33
  - Chemicals                (+21)  +32  +33  +29  +19    0   -5
  - Oil refinery/ceramics    (+29)  +14  +17  +14    0  -14    0
  - Steel/nonferrous metals  (-40)  -30  -20  -22  -45  -50  -45
 (Manufactured products)     (+19)  +18  +10   +3   +7   -2  -10
  - Food                       (0)    0    0  +18  +18  +18   -9
  - Metal products/machinery (+26)  +15   +9  +12   +7  -22   -4
  - Electric machinery       (+21)  +21  +15   +5   +5    0   -5
  - Autos/transport equipment(+23)  +30  +16   -7  +15  +23  -17
  - Precision machinery/others(+12) +17   +6  -11   -6  -14  -22
 ===============================================================
 NON-MANUFACTURERS            (+2)   -3   -5   -7  -11   -4  -13
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
  - Real estate/construction  (+8)   +4   +5   +5   -8    0   -8
  - Retail/wholesale          (-9)   -3   -6  -13  -15   -5  -17
  - Wholesalers              (-10)   -5  -26  -27  -27  -19  -33
  - Retailers                 (-7)    0  +23   +8    0  +12    0
  - Information/communications(+55) +64  +42  +44  +36  +36  +27
  - Transport/utility         (+5)  -21  -10   -5  -20   -6  -11
  - Other services           (-18)  -27  -35  -32  -29  -27  -34
 ===============================================================
          *** COMPARISON WITH BANK OF JAPAN TANKAN ***
 ===============================================================
                        MANUFACTURERS         NON-MANUFACTURERS
                        RTRS    BOJ              RTRS    BOJ
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
 JULY 2021 (forecast)   +13      -                +2      -
 JUNE                    -      (+4)              -      (-1)
 MAY                     -       -                -       -
 APR                    +13      -                -3      -    
 MAR                     +6      +5               -5      -1
 FEB                     +3      -                -7      -
 JAN                     -1      -               -11      -
 DEC 2020                -9     -10               -4      -5
 NOV                    -13      -               -13      -
 OCT                    -26      -               -16      -
 SEP                    -29     -27              -18     -12
 AUG                    -33      -               -23      -
 JULY                   -44      -               -26      -
 JUNE                   -46     -34              -32     -17
 MAY                    -44      -               -36      -
 APRIL                  -30      -               -23      -
 MARCH                  -20      -8              -10      +8
 FEB                     -5      -               +15      -
 JAN                     -6      -               +14      -
 DEC 2019                -6       0              +14     +20
 NOV                     -9      -               +12      -
 OCT                     -5      -               +25      -
 SEP                     -7      +5              +19     +21
 AUG                     -4      -               +13      -
 JULY                    +3      -               +25      -
 JUNE                    +6      +7              +22     +23
 MAY                    +12      -               +27      -
 APRIL                   +8      -               +24      -
 MARCH                  +10     +12              +22     +21
 FEB                    +13      -               +22      -
 JAN                    +18      -               +31      -
 DEC 2018               +23     +19              +31     +24
 NOV                    +26      -               +30      -
 OCT                    +28      -               +24      -
 SEPT                   +26     +19              +33     +22
 AUG                    +30      -               +25      -
 JULY                   +25      -               +34      -
 JUNE                   +26     +21              +35     +24
 MAY                    +22      -               +39      -
 APRIL                  +21      -               +36      -
 MARCH                  +28     +24              +35     +23
 FEB                    +29      -               +33      -
 JAN                    +35      -               +33      -
----------------------------------------------------------------
 (Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
  

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