Asia factory activity weakens in March

Asia's factory activity mostly weakened in March as an intensifying US tariff war and slowing global demand hurt business sentiment, private sector surveys showed yesterday, darkening the outlook for the region's economy.

- LEIKA KIHARA

China was one outlier among a broadly downbeat set of purchasing managers' indexes, showing activity in the world's second-largest economy picking up, as factories rushed to get goods to customers before US tariffs took effect.

The prospect of a widening global trade war is adding to headaches for policymakers as they seek to cushion the hit to growth from slowing demand.

Elsewhere in Asia, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan saw manufacturing activity decline in March, the surveys showed, as economies braced for more uncertainties on US trade policy.