Global growth in factory activity slowed in May as China’s strict coronavirus curbs and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted supply chains and dampened demand, adding to woes for businesses already struggling with surging raw material prices. Manufacturing growth slowed last month in economies as diverse as France, Japan to Malaysia, business surveys showed on Wednesday, .
In Britain, manufacturing activity expanded last month at the weakest rate since January 2021 as producers of consumer goods struggled against a worsening cost-of-living crunch.