Taiwan business activity dawdles for 9th straight month

Taiwan's economic recovery remained weak in February, as the overall business indicator flashed blue for a ninth month, new data showed Monday.

Color codes are used by the island to gauge economic health, with red signaling economic boom, green for steady growth and blue for recession. Yellow-red light and yellow-blue light are transitional.

The score for the business indicator was 16, up from 14 for January, according to a report unveiled by the island's development council.

The council attributed the rise in score to improving machinery and electrical apparatus imports and manufacturing climate, both of which gained one more point in February.

Among the nine components, seven flashed blue or yellow-blue. The leading, coincident and lagging sub-indices all dropped from the previous month.

The council said although slow world trade growth would hurt export demand, a new survey pointed to some pickup in the confidence of companies and consumers about future economic prospects. Endi