Asia’s Factories See Uneven Recovery as China Enjoys Upswing

  • Taiwan, Japan, South Korea PMIs remain just below 50-threshold
  • Business optimism improves as demand seen to rebound this year
A worker checks the carbon-fiber composite made for wind blades stored at the Swancor Holding factory in Nantou, Taiwan.Photographer: Lam Yik Fei/Bloomberg
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Asia’s manufacturing activity painted a mixed picture in March as new orders and output worsened for some amid still subdued global demand conditions, while others indicated a recovery as China extends industrial rebound.

Purchasing managers indexes for South KoreaBloomberg Terminal and VietnamBloomberg Terminal, the region’s manufacturing hubs, slipped back into contraction zone during the month, even as readings for trade bellwether TaiwanBloomberg Terminal and JapanBloomberg Terminal showed an improvement, surveys published by S&P Global and au Jibun Bank showed Monday.