Asia's factory activity grows in Dec as firms take Omicron risks in stride

For now, the direct hit from Omicron on output appeared subdued, according to surveys released on Monday and Tuesday.

Asia's factory activity grew in December as companies took rising global cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant in stride, though persistent supply constraints and rising input costs clouded the outlook for some economies.
 

The rising rate of global infections have raised eyebrows among policymakers, with outbreaks in China forcing some firms to suspend production and threatening to disrupt output for memory chip giants like Samsung Electronics.
 

For now, however, the direct hit from Omicron on output appeared subdued, according to surveys released on Monday and Tuesday.
 

China's factory activity grew at its fastest pace in six months in December,