Kazakhstan manufacturing PMI increased to 52.3 in May, a ten-month high. The rise points to a continued growth in output and new orders. Manufacturers increased staffing levels for the first time in six months, and business confidence reached a 26-month high due to anticipated further improvements in new orders. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s crude production fell sharply in May after Kashagan project, the country’s second-largest producer, was forced to lower output following rising levels of hydrogen sulfide leaks.