(Reuters) - Manufacturing activity in Singapore fell in February as orders weakened, resuming a downturn that started in July last year even as factories in the United States and South Korea reported improving conditions.
The Southeast Asian city-state's Purchasing Managers' index (PMI) fell to 49.4 points last month from 50.2 points in January, dropping below the key 50-point level that separates expansion from contraction for the seventh time in eight months, the Singapore Institute of Purchasing & Materials Management (SIPMM) said on Monday.
The drop in Singapore's manufacturing PMI contrasts sharply with South Korea, where manufacturing activity expanded in February at the strongest rate in nine months, according to a PMI compiled by HSBC and Markit.
U.S. manufacturing activity expanded last month at its fastest clip in 20 months but some Asian factories slowed and European output fell, suggesting the road back to robust global growth remains uneven. Full story
Related:
Fears escalate for shrinking Singapore manufacturing sector - Yahoo! Finance Singapore
