Firms upbeat amid slump: TIERservices slipping: Holiday spending in February helped cushion the decline of the services business climate, a survey by the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research saidBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterTaiwan’s business climate weakened last month as manufacturing, services and construction sectors all cooled, although firms remained cautiously optimistic about the longer-term outlook, a survey released yesterday by the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER, 台灣經濟研究院) showed. The services business climate index slipped to 94.55 from a revised 95.42 in January, ending four months of gains, although holiday spending helped cushion the decline, the institute said. In construction, the business climate index dropped to 95.81 from 99.92 in January, marking a second consecutive monthly decline. TIER said the weakness stems mainly from the government’s new soil disposal regulations, which have caused delays and temporary halts in some construction projects. Meanwhile, the property market remained listless, with transaction volumes declining amid tight credit controls.

Source: Taipei Times March 25, 2026 17:12 UTC