Hit by rising costs, Delta variant

Strict measures: People queue to be tested for Covid-19 at a hospital in Beijing yesterday, amid the country’s most widespread coronavirus outbreak in months. — AFP

TOKYO: Asia’s factories hit a rough patch in July as rising input costs and a new wave of coronavirus infections overshadowed solid global demand, highlighting the fragile nature of the region’s recovery.

Manufacturing activity rose in export powerhouses Japan and South Korea, though firms suffered from supply chain disruptions and raw material shortages that pushed up costs.