Shortages of power, computer chips and other parts, soaring shipping costs and shutdowns of factories to battle the pandemic are taking a toll on Asian economies. While business sentiment is improving in some parts of Asia as governments begin easing restrictions put in place to curb coronavirus infections, there is mounting evidence that such disruptions are slowing a return to business as usual.A quarterly survey by the Bank of Japan released Friday showed sentiment among manufacturers at its

Supply chain shortages, the HGV driver crisis and inflation has already prompted food shortages and raised the price of some goods.... According to the Office for National Statistics( ONS), one in six adults in the UK haven’t been able to buy essential food items in the last fortnight.... All the while, Britons are also having to cope with the energy crisis that is putting major suppliers out of business and threatening another rise in bills. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has not committed

A government statement Tuesday promised to “ stabilize jobs ” and “ optimize the business environment.” At the Shanghai port, the world’s busiest, operations were normal and managers made extra efforts to ensure vessels “ can call normally, ” state TV reported.... It matters outside China, ” said Rob Carnell, chief Asia economist for ING.... He noted that after previous shutdowns, factories caught up with orders by working overtime. Despite fears that lockdowns in China will slow the recovery

LONDON/ TOKYO( Reuters)-Global factory activity lost momentum in August as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic-disrupted supply chains, raising concerns faltering manufacturing would add to economic woes caused by slumping consumption, surveys showed on Wednesday. Many firms reported logistical troubles, product shortages and a labour crunch which have made it a sellers' market of the goods factories need, driving up prices. While factory activity remained strong in the euro zone, IHS Markit's fina

KUALA LUMPUR( Bernama): The temporary shutdown of glove factories will not only affect companies’ earnings but could also jeopardise their relationships with overseas buyers, especially when Malaysian glovemakers are facing escalating competition from China’s glovemakers.In a research note on Wednesday( July 7), Maybank Investment Bank( Maybank IB) noted that Top Glove, Hartalega and Kossan had suspended the operations of their respective glove manufacturing facilities in Selangor on Tuesday( Ju

BEIJING: China’s annual factory gate prices grew at their fastest pace on record in September, driven by energy curbs and soaring commodity prices, piling pressure on businesses already grappling with supply bottlenecks. The producer price index( PPI) rose 10.7% from a year earlier in September, the National Bureau of Statistics( NBS) said yestersday, the biggest rise since the data began to be compiled in 1996. Economists in a Reuters poll had expected the PPI to rise 10.5% after a 9.5% increas

Lava flow from a volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma has hit a cement factory and industrial estate. Between 700 and 800 residents have been evacuated from Los Llanos de Aridane due to the northwest advance of the lava. Authorities have been monitoring a stream of molten rock that has set buildings near the cement factory ablaze.Up to 3, 000 residents had been ordered to stay indoors over fresh fears of toxic gases, but the lockdown has now been lifted. ángel Morcuende, technical director

China faces mounting pressure to ramp up coal imports and ensure supplies to keep lights on, factories open and water flowing as a severe power crunch roils the northeastern industrial heartland. With electricity shortages sparked by coal shortages crippling large sections of industry, the governor of Jilin province, one of the hardest hit in the world's no.2 economy, called for a surge in coal imports, while a power company association said supply was being expanded" at any cost". News organisa

TOKYO: Japan's factory activity shrank at the fastest pace in over three-and-a-half years in February, a private-sector survey showed on Friday, as weakening demand worsened the economic outlook. The final au Jibun Bank Japan manufacturing purchasing managers' index( PMI) shrank to 47.2 in February from 48.0 in January.... Respondents cited factors such as weak sales demand at home and overseas as well as production delays due to machinery shutdowns. Export sales extended their falls and have r

BEIJING: Asia’s renewed surge in Covid-19 infections is compounding supply-chain blockages across the world’s biggest source of manufactured goods. After weathering earlier pandemic waves better than other regions, the fast-spreading Delta variant has thrown into turmoil factories and ports in countries that were once among the most successful containing the virus. The snarls in Asia – where the United Nations estimates around 42% of global exports are sourced – risk twisting their way through g