Global Factory Activity Slows as Ukraine Crisis, Inflation Bite

Global Factory Activity Slows as Ukraine Crisis, Inflation Bite
Employees wearing protective masks work at a factory of the component maker SMC in Beijing, on May 13, 2020. Thomas Peter/Reuters
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LONDON/TOKYO—Global factory activity slowed in March as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine tightened supply chain bottlenecks, dampened demand, and whacked confidence, while soaring energy costs drove a broader surge in prices, surveys showed on Friday.

Uncertainty caused by the invasion, combined with an intensifying cost-of-living crisis, suggests the euro zone’s manufacturing industry could slide into a recession this quarter.