The overall outlook for manufacturing remains sluggish, though electronics continue to recover and outperform the rest of the manufacturing sector (see data below).   The headline number was dragged down by orders for defense aircraft and parts, which plummeted 72.7% in November.   Stripping out defense goods, shipments were up 0.1% and orders up 0.8%. New Orders …

South Korea’s trade data in December show early monthly exports may decline less than double-digits for the first time since May, in another sign the global manufacturing slump is bottoming. Exports during the first 20 days of the month fell 2% from a year earlier. Shipments to China rose 5.3%, on a path for the …

Summary The December Manufacturing Business Outlook Survey indicated essentially flat growth in the region’s manufacturing sector this month. Although they all remained positive, the indicators for general activity and employment declined, while the indicators for new orders and shipments edged higher. The survey’s future indexes indicate that respondents continue to expect growth over the next six months. …