Asian Factory Activity Expands Thanks to Global AI Boom

South Korea39;s activity expands at fastest pace in 4 months Japan, Taiwan factories also benefit from global AI demand Surveys follow those showing factory expansion in China TOKYO, Oct 1 Reuters Factory activity across Asia expanded in September thanks to the global AI boom, private surveys showed on Thursday, offering some relief to policymakers who are concerned about nagging cost pressures attributable to the USIsraeli war on Iran. While a renewed rise in energy prices clouded the global economic outlook, export powerhouses Japan, South Korea and Taiwan saw manufacturing activity expand on solid demand for chips and artificial intelligencerelated goods. On Wednesday, surveys showed that China39;s factory activity also expanded last month as easing weather disruptions allowed factories to resume operations. South Korea, in particular, saw factory activity grow in September at the biggest margin in four months, as export demand grew at the fastest pace in 1512 years. Both new orders and production growth hit the highest for around fiveandahalf years, with anecdotal evidence often linking the expansions to the combined strength of the semiconductor and automotive sectors, said Usamah Bhatti, economist at SP Global Market Intelligence, about South Korea. South Korea39;s purchasing managers39; index PMI, published by SP Global, stood at 53.9 in September, up from 52.3 in August, the highest level since May. The index remained above 50, which separates expansion...