South Korea Factory Output Misses Forecasts in November Amid Ongoing Economic Uncertainty 
Asian Currencies Trade Flat as Dollar Weakens in Thin New Year Trading 
South Korea Exports Hit Record High as Global Trade Momentum Builds 
Asian Markets Slip as Precious Metals Cool, Geopolitical Tensions Weigh on Sentiment 
Asian Stock Markets Start New Year Higher as Tech and AI Shares Drive Gains 
Oil Prices Stabilize at Start of 2026 as OPEC+ Policy and Geopolitical Risks Shape Market Outlook 
Singapore GDP Growth Surges in 2025 but Outlook Remains Cautious Amid Global Trade Risks 
USDA $12 Billion Farm Aid Program Draws Mixed Reactions from Row Crop Farmers 
Oil Prices Slip Slightly as Markets Weigh Geopolitical Risks and Supply Glut Concerns 
U.S. Stock Index Futures Steady as Markets Await Fed Policy Clues in Holiday-Thinned Trade 
China Imposes 55% Tariff on Beef Imports Above Quota to Protect Domestic Industry 
U.S. Dollar Starts 2026 Weak as Yen, Euro and Sterling Hold Firm Amid Rate Cut Expectations 
Trump Delays Tariff Increases on Furniture and Cabinets for One More Year 
South Korea Factory Activity Returns to Growth in December on Export Rebound 
China Manufacturing PMI Rebounds in December, Offering Boost to Economic Growth Outlook 
Asia Manufacturing PMI Rebounds as Exports and Tech Demand Drive Growth into 2026 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Year-End Trading Turns Cautious 
South Korea's industrial output dipped 0.3 percent in March from a month earlier, as exports and private consumption went down due to the pandemic, according to Statistics Korea.
The service sector posted the sharpest decline at 4.4 percent on-month, which is also the sharpest drop since Statistics Korea started compiling data in 2000.
However, production in manufacturing, mining, and gas and electricity industries rose 4.6 percent from a month earlier.
The unexpected gains in these industries were attributed to the increase in auto output by 45.1 percent on-month.
According to Ahn Hyung-joon, a senior official at Statistics Korea, the expanded output in auto and auto parts firms were due to the easing disruptions of the parts supply and more auto sales due to tax benefits.
Production of chips also exhibited a boost of 15.5 percent on-month.
But while sales of durable goods, such as cars, grew by 14.7 percent, those of nondurable ones, such as cosmetics, decreased by 11.9 percent.
Local manufacturers faced problems in securing key parts as suppliers suspended their operations and global shipments disrupted by entry bans.
In February, the nation's industrial output contracted by 3.5 percent on-month, which is its sharpest decline since February 2011.
Vice Finance Minister Kim Yong-beom noted that South Korea might post a trade balance deficit in April, which is its first monthly decline in 99 months.
Kim said the March data on industrial output is better than those of other nations, but the global lockdown may take a heavier toll on the nation's exports in the coming months.
