Afternoon Coffee: China Manufacturing Slows Down, TPP Trade Deal to Start by Year’s End

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Manufacturing in China for October grew at its slowest pace in two years, a sign of stress from lower demand and U.S. tariffs, Reuters reports. The country’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index came in at 50.2, below estimates and right at the 50-point line between expansion and contraction.

TPP Trade Deal Ratified

The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal is set to start by year’s end after enough nations ratified the treaty, The Wall Street Journal reports. The deal includes 11 countries around the Pacific rim and creates a free-trade zone for member countries, which have a combined GDP of $10 trillion. The U.S. isn’t part of the pact because the Trump administration opposed it.

Supply Chain Horror Stories

For Halloween today, Supply Chain Dive revives its article on supply chain nightmares — “horrors that only those in our industry can appreciate.”

Employment Numbers Rise

And finally, an update on jobs: Hiring in October continued at a better-than-expected pace, with private payrolls rising by 227,000, CNBC reports on figures released Wednesday.