Taiwan Institute of Economic Research said that Taiwan's manufacturing sector flashed a yellow blue signal in November 2011, the eighth month in a row it was given the signal that represents slowed activities.

TIER uses a five signal system, much like the one used by the Council for Economic Planning and Development, to measure the state of the island's manufacturing sector. The five signals are red, yellow red, green, yellow blue and blue, which represent a manufacturing sector that is, respectively: overheating, robust, stable, sluggish and contracting.

TIER said that in terms of numeric value, the manufacturing sector garnered a score of 9.57 for November 2011, the lowest since May 2009 in the midst of the global financial meltdown.

The think tank attributed the weakness in Taiwan's manufacturing sector in November to a string of negative developments, including a slowdown in Europe and the United States, as well as reduced exports in China in the midst of that slowdown.

As for the individual industries under the manufacturing sector, the metallic and machinery industry gave the best performance, receiving a green signal for November 2011 and a notch above the yellow blue that it snagged in October.

The electronics and transportation industries, as well as the industry that makes daily necessities, all saw their signal stay at yellow blue. The food industry saw its signal downgrade from green in October 2011 to yellow blue in November 2011, as people consumed less in the midst of the slowdown.

(Sourced from www.chinapost.com.tw)