Slower increases in output, new orders and employment from December, according to IHS Markit

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/02/02
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

(By Central News Agency)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Nikkei Taiwan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, or PMI, fell to 55.6 in January from a 68-month high of 56.2 in December, though the increases in output, total new orders and employment at the start of 2017 still look strong on the back of a higher production.

According to IHS Markit, which compiled the survey issued on Thursday, manufacturers faced a sharp increase in input costs amid reports of higher raw material prices in January, which translated into the selling prices again to protect their margins.

January survey data show that the rate of expansion was the second-steepest seen in 29 months, with China, Europe and the U.S. cited as key areas driving growth in new export work.    [FULL  STORY]