China's Factory Activity Slumps as US Tariffs Take Effect
China's factory activity shrank more than expected in April following two months of recovery, a survey showed on Wednesday, suggesting the country's sprawling manufacturing industry is beginning to feel the impacts of the ongoing trade war with the United States.
The country's official purchasing managers' index (PMI) declined to 49 in April versus 50.5 in March, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of China (
The official NBS data showed that new export orders declined to 44.7, down from 49 in March; its lowest level—excluding the COVID-19 disruptions—since April 2012.
The non-manufacturing PMI, which includes services and construction, also dropped from 50.8 to 50.4 in April but still hovered above the 50-mark that separates economic growth from contraction.
It comes as official data reported that China's manufacturing activity experienced two successive months of expansion, with activity growing at its fastest pace in three months in
The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has also pledged more fiscal stimulus, increased debt issuance, and promised further monetary easing in an effort to grant the world's second-largest economy some reprieve.
Related Stories
4/29/2025
4/29/2025
Still, the latest data appears to show Trump's 145 percent tariffs on most China-origin goods—part of an ongoing effort from the U.S. administration to balance trade deficits and put pressure on the Chinese regime to curb China's export of fentanyl into the United States—are beginning to bite.
Trump's tariffs come as China continues to battle with deflation due to sluggish income growth and a prolonged property crisis after the collapse of Evergrande.
Beijing has retaliated with 125 percent levies on U.S. imports, effectively imposing a trade embargo on each other's goods. It has also placed export restrictions on rare-earth minerals that are critical for manufacturing high-tech items like weapons, semiconductors, and batteries.
A separate private sector
According to that survey, which beat analysts' expectations in the Reuters poll, China's manufacturing PMI fell to 50.4 in April from 51.2 in March. While it still remained above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction, it marked the lowest reading since January.
'Trade disruptions resulting from higher U.S. tariffs reportedly contributed to the first fall in new export orders for three months,' Caixin/S&P Global said in a statement. 'Weaker external demand dampened growth of overall new orders, which increased at the softest pace in seven months.'
Dr. Wang Zhe, senior economist at Caixin Insight Group, added that the ripple effect of the ongoing China-U.S. tariff standoff will gradually be felt in the second and third quarters.
China's yuan inched lower against the dollar following the data's release on Wednesday.
The International Monetary Fund, Goldman Sachs, and UBS have also recently revised down their economic growth forecasts for China over 2025 and into 2026, pointing to the impact of U.S. tariffs, with none of them expecting it to achieve its 5 percent economic growth target.
Meanwhile, investor and China observer Kyle Bass
'You don't grow at 5.4 percent and have your bond market yields collapse into economic nuclear winter,' he said in a post on the social media platform X.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Upturn
31 minutes ago
- Business Upturn
Sarasota Medical Products, Inc. Celebrates 15 Years of Innovation, Partnership, and Purpose in Medical Adhesives
Sarasota, Florida, June 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sarasota Medical Products, Inc. Sarasota Medical Products, Inc. (SMP), a veteran-owned innovator in the field of medical device adhesives, is proudly celebrating its 15th anniversary. It is a milestone that reflects its unwavering commitment to innovation, trusted partnership, and elevating the standard of care for patients worldwide. Founded in 2010 by Dr. Walter Francis Leise III, SMP began as an ambitious idea on paper, an MBA business plan, and a leap of faith away from corporate life. Today, the company stands as a recognized innovator in custom hydrocolloid development and wound, ostomy, and incontinence care, with a legacy of breakthroughs, partnerships, and purpose-driven growth. The turning point in SMP's early days came unexpectedly on Christmas Eve in 2011. Dr. Leise was in the lab, frustrated by an adhesive formulation that didn't meet expectations. But inspiration struck the next morning. 'I realized the formulation could actually serve a completely different need,' he said. 'It turned out to be perfect as a moldable gasket for ostomy patients. That moment really encapsulated what we now do: adapt, innovate, and listen to what patients need.' That adaptability became the cornerstone of SMP's success. SMP closely works with partners to develop customized, premium adhesive solutions. Each formulation is created with patients in mind. 'We're not a 'take it or leave it' company,' said Dr. Leise. SMP dwells on the philosophy that good products come from great partnerships. It only works with vendors who want to be partners, not just buyers. And the SMP team speaks to the patients constantly to hear them out, especially if something's not working, and constantly works on innovation. This commitment has led them to key acquisitions and brand expansions that reinforce SMP's standing in the market. Cymed Micro Skin In 2019, SMP acquired Cymed, a premium brand tailored for active patients. Employing micro skin, a breathable, ultra-thin, water-resistant adhesive dressing, Cymed empowers users to move freely, exercise, swim, and live without limits. 'Cymed is for people who don't want to slow down,' said Dr. Leise. 'It's one of the oldest names in ostomy care, and we're proud to carry it forward with next-gen improvements.' Entrust Ostomy Care In 2020, SMP acquired Entrust, now housed under its Fortis Medical Products division. Known for high-quality ostomy, ileostomy, and urostomy devices, Entrust was brought under the SMP umbrella during the COVID-19 crisis, preserving a trusted brand and giving it the operational strength to grow. 'With Entrust, the mission is trust,' said Dr. Leise. 'Patients deserve to forget they've had a life-changing surgery. Our job is to make products so dependable and comfortable, their dignity and quality of life are never in question.' Based in Florida, SMP maintains its U.S.-made advantage, allowing it to maintain cost-competitive pricing against Asian manufacturers, all while offering unmatched customization and quality. Innovations in process efficiency have further strengthened SMP's position. The company has developed proprietary methods that dramatically reduce labor requirements and production costs, without compromising product performance. These efficiencies enable SMP to keep prices low, expand globally, and reinvest in research and development, including groundbreaking ventures into antibacterial adhesives. Looking ahead, SMP is launching a new brand, Ndur Healthcare, featuring a skincare line powered by natural ingredients like tallow, alongside anti-aging and acne care innovations. A major highlight is Magic Shields, a patented, FDA-approved, silver-free antibacterial hydrocolloid that kills MRSA and E. coli, reduces fungal infections, and supports wound healing. Magic Shields is designed to serve both skincare and wound care needs, showcasing SMP's expanding footprint in preventive health. Over the past decade and a half, SMP has gone from a single formulation to hundreds of private-label products, serving more than 20 companies. 'I'm proud we're still here,' said Dr. Leise. 'It's easy to underestimate the grit it takes to survive and grow in this industry. But I believe in working hard every day so that when luck comes, we're ready for it.' As Sarasota Medical Products celebrates this 15-year milestone, the company remains anchored in its mission: to empower patients to live confidently, comfortably, and with dignity, one innovative adhesive at a time. Media Contact Name: Rachel Crumbley Email: [email protected] The content provided herein does not constitute medical advice. Any references to treatments, products, or services are not intended as endorsements. The company and its affiliates are not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, effectiveness, or correct use of information contained in this press release. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's Least Favorite Words, in One Terrifying Song
The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Last year, a lot of indie-music fans—including myself—got someone else's packing list stuck in their head. I'd walk around muttering 'Milk thistle, calcium, high-rise, boot cut / Advil, black jeans, blue jeans'—lyrics hissed out by the art-punk legend Kim Gordon on a song called 'Bye Bye.' The track led off her album The Collective, one of the most acclaimed releases of 2024. Over hard hip-hop beats and snarling guitar distortion, Gordon stammered about daily banalities, reframing modern life as a psychological war zone. Now the 72-year-old co-founder of Sonic Youth has released a new version of the song, called 'Bye Bye 25.' The music is largely the same, but the lyrics are new, and they start like this: mental health electric vehicle Gulf of Mexico energy conversion gay bird flu These are among the terms that the Trump administration has tried to minimize from public life. PEN America has assembled a list of at least 350 phrases that federal authorities have, this year, scrubbed from government websites and materials (including school curricula), flagged as necessitating extra review in official documents and proposals, or discouraged the use of among staffers. The attention paid to these words reflects Trump's crusade against diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as his team's stances on policy issues such as energy and vaccines. Gordon picked some of these words to rework 'Bye Bye'—making her, somewhat curiously, one of the few established musicians to release music directly inspired by Trump's second term. For all the chaos and consternation caused by the president this year, the entertainment world's response has been relatively muted. Bruce Springsteen, that liberal stalwart, kicked off his tour with an anti-Trump sermon; stars such as Doechii and Lady Gaga have made awards-show speeches in support of immigrants, trans people, and protesters. But outright protest music responding to recent events has been rare. 'I think people are kind of mostly just still stunned and don't know what to do,' Gordon told me in a video chat earlier this week. The memory of what happened the last time around might be contributing to the hesitation. Trump's rise to power in 2016 spurred a quick response from popular culture, resulting in diss tracks (Nipsey Hussle and YG's 'FDT') and provocations from luminaries (remember Madonna wanting to explode the White House?). The indie-rock world united for a compilation called Our First 100 Days: one track released for each of Trump's first 100 days in office. But today, many of those efforts feel like either artifacts of a bygone movement—the pink-hatted #Resistance—or simply inconsequential. When I spoke with Gordon, she said, with a laugh, that she had no memory of contributing to the Our First 100 Days project. The new version of 'Bye Bye' caught my attention because it's deadpan funny, and because it avoids some of the pitfalls that await many anti-Trump protest efforts. The president and many of his supporters seem to use liberal outrage as fuel, which means strident criticism has a way of backfiring. Steve Bannon's stated strategy to 'flood the zone with shit'—to stoke multiple incendiary media narratives every day—can make knowing what to protest first difficult. The firing of human-rights workers? The extrajudicial deportations? The dehumanization of trans people? The bid to turn Gaza into a resort? How do you pick? Gordon's song cuts across topic areas by highlighting the dark absurdity of an ascendant political tactic: controlling policy by controlling language. It also doesn't sloganeer; instead, it presents a patently ridiculous jumble of terms for listeners to reflect on. (Theoretically, a MAGA loyalist might even enjoy the sound of diversity-related jargon becoming a heavy-metal hit list). 'I wanted to have some really mundane, weird words in there like allergy or measles or tile drainage,' she told me. 'It's unrealistic to think they could actually ban these words, because everyone uses them every day. But I think if they had their ultimate fantasy, maybe.' Gordon and her former band, Sonic Youth, emanate the kind of inscrutable hauteur that might seem at odds with outright protest. But this is not her first such effort in this vein. Sonic Youth arose out of the punk-rock underground of the 1980s that was boiling with outrage against Ronald Reagan. In 1992, their song 'Youth Against Fascism' featured Thurston Moore—the band's other singer, and Gordon's now-ex-husband—sneering, 'Yeah, the president sucks / He's a war pig fuck.' That same year, the Gordon-led 'Swimsuit Issue' skewered male chauvinism, a topic she returned to with the hilarious 'I'm a Man' on The Collective. Talking with her, I remembered that though Gordon is often associated with Gen X disaffection, she's really a Baby Boomer who came of age attending Vietnam War protests and listening to folk music. The video for 'Bye Bye 25' splices images from the recent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles with shots of her holding cue cards in the style of Bob Dylan's 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' video. She told me her favorite protest song is Neil Young's 'Ohio,' which decried the state violence at Kent State University in 1970. Young, she suspected, didn't intend to write an out-and-out rallying cry. 'Those lyrics were describing a time,' she said. 'That's what I hope I'm doing with my music and my lyrics—really describing what's going on.' Article originally published at The Atlantic
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tucker Carlson splits from Trump, advocates ‘dropping Israel'
Talk show host Tucker Carlson broke with President Donald Trump on Iran on Friday, writing in a scathing commentary in his daily newsletter that the United States should 'drop Israel' and 'let them fight their own wars.' 'If Israel wants to wage this war, it has every right to do so. It is a sovereign country, and it can do as it pleases,' Carlson wrote of Israel's preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. 'But not with America's backing.' Trump, for his part, has endorsed Israel's attacks, which he called 'very successful,' and underscored in an interview with Fox News on Thursday night that the U.S. would defend Israel if Iran retaliates. He also warned that the situation 'will only get worse' if Iran does not agree to a nuclear deal 'before there is nothing left.' TRUMPS TAKE Trump to Fox News: U.S. will defend Israel if Iran retaliates Read more In recent days, Carlson has argued that fears of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon in the near future are unfounded and said that a war with the Islamic Republic would not only result in 'thousands' of American casualties in the Middle East but 'amount to a profound betrayal of' Trump's base and effectively 'end his presidency.' Carlson reiterated that claim in his newsletter, accusing Trump of 'being complicit in the act of war' through 'years of funding and sending weapons to Israel.' Direct U.S. involvement in a war with Iran, he said, 'would be a middle finger in the faces of the millions of voters who cast their ballots in hopes of creating a government that would finally put the United States first.' 'What happens next will define Donald Trump's presidency,' he concluded.
