Japan's factory activity expands at fastest pace since early 2018

TOKYO: Japan's factory activity expanded in April at the fastest pace since early 2018 on a global demand recovery, a private sector survey showed on Friday, though new coronavirus curbs cast a shadow over the overall economic outlook.

The activity expansion highlights the tailwind manufacturers have been getting from strong external demand, particularly from China, which forms the basis for keeping intact the economic recovery from last year's steep coronavirus drop.