Manufacturing sector conditions in China further improved at the end of the first quarter of 2024, according to the latest PMI® data. This was driven by greater inflows of new work, including from abroad. In turn, Chinese manufacturers increased production, while also raising their purchasing levels amid improved optimism. That said, a cautious stance was maintained with regards to staffing levels. Meanwhile input costs fell for the first time in eight months, enabling Chinese manufacturers to further lower selling prices in a bid to drive sales. The headline seasonally adjusted Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI) – a ... (full story)

China’s factory activity in March expanded by its strongest pace in more than a year, a private survey showed on Monday, in signs of stabilizing growth in the world’s second-largest economy. The Caixin China manufacturing purchasing managers’ index was 51.1 in March — its strongest since February 2023 — after coming in at 50.9 in February. Economists had expected the reading to hit 51, according to a Reuters poll. The 50-point mark separates expansion from contraction. This reading corroborates official data that surpassed market expectations and came at its strongest in 11 months. Another official survey for ... (full story)