Taiwan's manufacturing sector ended its 15-month recession in July, the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research said Wednesday.
The composite index of the island's manufacturing sector expanded 0.77 points from a month earlier to reach 10.59 points, showing a yellow-blue signal on the index's color-code system, said the institute.
It was the first time the index, which evaluates indicators such as the business environment, costs and demand, has surpassed 10.5 points in 16 months.
The institute uses a five-color system to describe the island's economic activity, with yellow-blue indicating sluggish growth, and blue,the lowest color, signalling recession. Yellow-blue is given when the index is between 10.5 to 13.
The improvements were attributed to a rebound in demand for semiconductors and better trade performance driven by a smaller decline in imports, according to the institute.
