Reuters – Asia’s factory activity \u200bexpanded in January as solid global demand lifted export orders, private-sector surveys \u200cshowed on Monday, offering policymakers some assurance the hit from higher U.S. tariffs has run its course for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Japan and South Korea saw manufacturing activity grow at a multi-year pace as big markets like the U.S. sustained momentum, the surveys showed, brightening prospects for Asia’s \u200cexport powerhouses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China<\/a>‘s factory activity expanded at a faster pace in January as \u200bexport orders rebounded, one of the surveys showed, which contrasted with an earlier official report showing activity faltering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The RatingDog China General Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), compiled by S&P \u200dGlobal, rose to 50.3 from 50.1 in December, exceeding the 50-mark that separates growth from contraction and hitting the highest level since October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The upbeat survey likely reflects China’s export drive that offset weak \u2060domestic consumption and helped the world’s second-largest economyexpand<\/a>5.0% last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Japan<\/a>‘s S&P PMI rose \u200dto 51.5 in January from 50.0 in December, the strongest level since August 2022, driven by \u200crobust \u200cdemand from key markets such as the U.S. and Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Japan’s manufacturing industry propelled itself back into growth territory at the start of 2026, with firms signalling the strongest upturns in output and new orders for nearly four years,” said Annabel Fiddes, an economics \u2060associate director at S&P \u2060Global Market Intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n