Manufacturing activity in expansion mode for 21st straight month

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/12/01
By: Tsai Yi-chu and Frances Huang 

Taipei, Dec. 1 (CNA) Manufacturing activity in Taiwan remained in expansion mode for the 21st consecutive month in November as Taiwanese manufacturers continued to benefit from a global recovery, the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER) said Friday.

In addition, activity in the local service sector saw its ninth consecutive month of expansion in November under favorable economic fundamentals at home and abroad, CIER said.

CIER, one of the leading economic think tanks in Taiwan, said the local purchasing managers index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector for November stood at 57.2, and while the latest figure was down 0.5 from the previous month, it remained above the 50 point mark, which indicates expansion mode, the CIER said.

The PMI has now remained in expansion mode 21 months in a row, beating the previous record from March 2013 to October 2014, CIER said.    [FULL  STORY]