Factory activity shrank in most of Asia's major economies in September, private surveys showed on Wednesday, as signs of a slowdown in U.S. growth and the expected impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs added to pressure from weak Chinese demand.
The stress on manufacturers highlights the challenge Asian policymakers face in protecting the export-reliant region from higher U.S. levies, a key policy of the Trump administration that has upended the global trade order and put the brakes on economic growth.
Export powerhouse Japan and global tech hub Taiwan saw manufacturing activity shrink in September, the surveys showed, leaving businesses in Asia — heavily reliant on the U.S. market — on fragile footing.
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