DRIVER’S SEAT: Private investment remained strong and would hopefully uphold the economy, especially after more favorable measures are introduced, the NDC said

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 28, 2018
By: Crystal Hsu  /  Staff reporter

The business climate monitor last month remained “yellow-blue,” indicating that the nation’s economy is heading toward a downturn as the US-China trade war continues, the National Development Council (NDC) said yesterday.

The overall score remained unchanged at 22, as imports of machinery and electrical equipment showed improvement, but manufacturing shipments and non-agricultural employment remained sluggish, the council said in a report.

“The economy is losing steam judging from the latest signals,” council Deputy Minister Cheng Cheng-mount (鄭貞茂) said.

The council uses a five-color system to portray the nation’s economic condition, with “green” indicating steady growth, “red” suggesting overheating and “blue” signaling a recession. Dual-color signs reflect a transition.    [FULL  STORY]