Market

BEIJING: Growth in China's factory output slowed for a third straight month in May, possibly due to disruptions caused by COVID-19 outbreaks in the country's southern export powerhouse of Guangdong. The Chinese economy has largely shaken off the gloom from the coronavirus-induced slump last year, but officials warn the foundations for the recovery are not yet secure amid challenges including rising raw material prices and global supply chain disruptions, especially a shortage of micro chips. Industrial production grew 8.8per cent in May from a year ago, slower than the 9.8per cent uptick in April, National Bureau of Statistics data showed on Wednesday. That missed a 9.0per cent on-year rise forecast by analysts from a Reuters poll. Most China watchers had expected some moderation i...

Japan's industrial output extended gains in April as manufacturers benefited from a recovery in appetite for capital goods, especially in key overseas markets. The world's third-largest economy is expected to grow in the current quarter at a much slower pace than previously thought, after the government extended COVID-19 emergency measures in Tokyo and other major areas. Separate data on Monday showed that retail sales, a key gauge of consumer spending, surged in April, thanks largely to favorable statistical base effects from a year earlier, when the country was under even stricter COVID-19 curbs. Official data released Monday showed factory output grew 2.5% from the previous month in April, as higher production of general-purpose and electrical machinery offset a contraction in cars a...