Australia’s AiG Performance of Manufacturing Index rose to 44.5 in July, showing the sector was contracting at the slowest pace since September 2008. The rebound likely owes to generous fiscal aid package: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and company have distributed over A$12 billion in cash handouts this year and set aside A$22 billion for infrastructure projects. AiG chief executive Heather Ridout said that while the result was “encouraging”, the big question going forward “whether these improvements will be sustained once [fiscal] stimulatory forces have abated.”
