Taiwan Manufacturing Sector Ebbs In January - S&P Global

(RTTNews) - The manufacturing sector in Taiwan continued to expand in January, albeit at a slower pace, the latest survey from S&P Global revealed on Monday with a PMI score of 51.1

That's down from 52.7 in December, although it remains above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

The decline in the PMI was closely linked to concurrently weaker gains in both output and new orders, in each case the softest since last October. The slowdown in new order growth was especially noticeable, despite reports of firmer demand from both domestic and international clients. Indeed, new export business rose in January, albeit modestly, for an eighth successive month.

Panelists noted higher sales to economies elsewhere in Asia, whilst also signaling improved demand from the United States. Companies again commented that higher productivity had helped to push overall output up in January.