Bright signs in the Japanese economy and robust overseas demand, especially from China, encouraged Japanese petrochemical makers to produce more ethylene in November, sending output to an eight-month high, government data showed.

Japan's output of ethylene in November rose 4.4 per cent from a year earlier to 645,700 tonnes, marking the third straight month of year-on-year gains, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said.
The volume was also up 2.5 percent from October.
No ethylene plants were closed in November, while one was closed for routine checks in October.
The operating rate of ethylene plants in November was 98.0 per cent, against 97.1 percent in same month last year.

No ethylene centres were closed in November 2002.
''Exports and domestic demand continued to keep ethylene production at high levels,'' a METI official said.
''Demand is especially strong for polyethylene, which is a key driving force raising production levels. This also shows brighter signs in the domestic economy,'' he said.
October ethylene exports posted a nine percent year-on-year rise to 185,500 tonnes, but fell from the September figure of 202,700 tonnes, the METI data showed.