Manufacturing activity in China over April slowed slightly compared to the previous month but remains in positive territory, new purchasing managers’ index data shows.

Adelaide’s largest ice manufacturer, Adelaide Ice Services, has received a grant from the Federal Government that will help it reduce energy costs by $20,000 a year.

South Australian Manufacturing Minister Tom Kenyon says he will use a visit to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to strengthen Australia’s manufacturing presence in the Middle East.

Oxfam Australia has urged Australian brands to review their manufacturing processes following the death of at least 330 workers at a garment factory in Bangladesh last week.

The China Iron and Steel Association has told its members to lower expectations for the rest of the year, with weak demand and poor margins hurting profits for the country’s largest steelmakers.