Manufacturers in Europe and Asia end last year on weak footing 

Outlook also soured amid concerns over next Donald Trump administration

In Ireland, December saw the sharpest decline in manufacturing in six months.

Manufacturing activity in Europe and Asia ended 2024 on a soft note as expectations for the new year soured amid growing trade risks from a second Donald Trump presidency and China's fragile economic recovery.

A manufacturing slowdown in the eurozone intensified last month, with scant signs of a rebound anytime soon as the bloc's three largest economies — Germany, France and Italy — remained stuck in an industrial recession.