Latest news with #DongLijuan
RTÉ News
11-08-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
China's July factory-gate prices miss forecast, deflation concerns persist
China's producer prices fell more than expected in July, while consumer prices were unchanged, underscoring the impact of sluggish domestic demand and persistent trade uncertainty on consumer and business sentiment. Factory-gate prices have been declining for more than two years, and the latest weekend data suggest early-stage efforts to tackle price competition have yet to yield significant results. Deflationary pressures have prompted Chinese authorities to address overcapacity in key industries. However, the latest round of industrial restructuring appears to be a pared-down version of the sweeping supply-side reforms launched a decade ago that were pivotal in ending a deflationary spiral. The producer price index (PPI) fell 3.6% year on year in July, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said, missing economists' forecast of a 3.3% slide and matching the near two-year low recorded in June. Extreme weather and global trade uncertainties contributed to price declines in some industries, Dong Lijuan, NBS chief statistician, said in a statement. However, on a month-on-month basis, PPI shrank 0.2%, improving from June's 0.4% drop. Despite the headline figures, some analysts see signs of easing deflationary pressure. Xing Zhaopeng, senior China strategist at ANZ, pointed to improvements in month-on-month PPI and year-on-year core CPI. He expects the current "anti-involution" policy measures - aimed at curbing disorderly competition in sectors like autos -to begin lifting year-on-year PPI from August. Still, other analysts remain cautious, noting that without demand-side stimulus or reforms to improve people's welfare, the measures may have limited impact on final demand. A prolonged housing downturn and fragile trade relations with the US also continue to weigh on consumer spending and factory activity. China's consumer price index (CPI) was flat year-on-year in July, compared with a 0.1% rise in June, NBS data showed, beating a Reuters poll forecast of a 0.1% slide. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and fuel prices, was 0.8% in July from a year earlier, the highest in 17 months. Food prices fell 1.6%, following a 0.3% decline in June. Extreme weather added to the economic strain, with sweltering heat gripping much of China's eastern seaboard last month and heavier-than-usual downpours lashing the country with the East Asian monsoon stalling over its north and south. On a monthly basis, the CPI edged up 0.4%, against a 0.1% drop in June and exceeding forecasts for a 0.3% rise. "Nonetheless it is still unclear if this is the end of deflation in China," said Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management. "The property sector has not stabilised. The economy is still supported more by external demand than domestic consumption. The labour market remains weak," he said.
Business Recorder
09-08-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
China's July factory-gate prices miss forecast, deflation concerns persist
BEIJING: China's producer prices fell more than expected in July, while consumer prices were unchanged, underscoring the impact of sluggish domestic demand and persistent trade uncertainty on consumer and business sentiment. Factory-gate prices have been declining for more than two years, and Saturday's data suggest early-stage efforts to tackle price competition have yet to yield significant results. Deflationary pressures have prompted Chinese authorities to address overcapacity in key industries. However, the latest round of industrial restructuring appears to be a pared-down version of the sweeping supply-side reforms launched a decade ago that were pivotal in ending a deflationary spiral. The producer price index (PPI) fell 3.6% year on year in July, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data showed on Saturday, missing economists' forecast of a 3.3% slide and matching the near 2-year low recorded in June. Extreme weather and global trade uncertainties contributed to price declines in some industries, Dong Lijuan, NBS chief statistician, said in a statement. However, on a month-on-month basis, PPI shrank 0.2%, improving from June's 0.4% drop. Despite the headline figures, some analysts see signs of easing deflationary pressure. Xing Zhaopeng, senior China strategist at ANZ, pointed to improvements in month-on-month PPI and year-on-year core CPI. He expects the current 'anti-involution' policy measures - aimed at curbing disorderly competition in sectors like autos -to begin lifting year-on-year PPI from August. Still, other analysts remain cautious, noting that without demand-side stimulus or reforms to improve people's welfare, the measures may have limited impact on final demand. A prolonged housing downturn and fragile trade relations with the U.S. also continue to weigh on consumer spending and factory activity. China's consumer price index (CPI) was flat year-on-year in July, compared with a 0.1% rise in June, NBS data showed, beating a Reuters poll forecast of a 0.1% slide. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and fuel prices, was 0.8% in July from a year earlier, the highest in 17 months. Food prices fell 1.6%, following a 0.3% decline in June. Extreme weather added to the economic strain, with sweltering heat gripping much of China's eastern seaboard last month and heavier-than-usual downpours lashing the country with the East Asian monsoon stalling over its north and south. On a monthly basis, the CPI edged up 0.4%, against a 0.1% drop in June and exceeding forecasts for a 0.3% rise. 'Nonetheless it is still unclear if this is the end of deflation in China,' said Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management. 'The property sector has not stabilized. The economy is still supported more by external demand than domestic consumption. The labour market remains weak,' he said.
Qatar Tribune
10-07-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
China's snaps 4 month consumer decline but factory price deflation deepens
Agencies Consumer prices in China rose slightly in June, official data showed on Wednesday, snapping a four-month decline even as factory gate prices were bruised by a fierce trade war with Washington. Chinese officials have been trying to revive sluggish domestic spending since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the government's official growth target at risk. That comes just as leaders face heightened turmoil sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war. The consumer price index -- a key measure of inflation -- edged up 0.1 percent on-year last month, according to data published by China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The reading beat the 0.1 percent drop forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists and was an improvement on the 0.1 percent fall seen in May. The flip into positive territory was 'mainly due to the rebound in prices of industrial consumer goods', NBS statistician Dong Lijuan said in a statement. Dong noted that 'policies of expanding domestic demand and promoting consumption continued to be effective'.Beijing has set its official growth target this year at around five percent, although many economists consider that goal to be ambitious because domestic spending remains sluggish. The government has introduced a series of aggressive moves since last year in an attempt to get people spending, including key rate cuts, abolishing some restrictions on homebuying and a consumer goods trade-in scheme. In a signal of further deflationary pressure, Chinese factory gate prices fell in June at the fastest rate in nearly two years, the NBS also said on Wednesday. The producer price index declined 3.6 percent year-on-year, accelerating from a 3.3 percent drop in May, and faster than the 3.2 percent decline estimated in the Bloomberg survey.
Qatar Tribune
09-07-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
China's CPI flips into positive, but factory price deflation deepens
Agencies Consumer prices in China rose slightly in June to move to the positive territory, official data showed on Wednesday, snapping a four-month decline even as factory gate prices suffered due to a fierce trade war with Washington. Chinese officials have been trying to revive sluggish domestic spending since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the government's official growth target at risk. That comes just as leaders face heightened turmoil sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war. The consumer price index (CPI), a key measure of inflation, edged up 0.1% on-year last month, according to data published by China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The reading beat the 0.1% drop forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists and was an improvement on the 0.1% fall seen in May. The flip into positive territory was 'mainly due to the rebound in prices of industrial consumer goods,' NBS statistician Dong Lijuan said in a statement. Dong noted that 'policies of expanding domestic demand and promoting consumption continued to be effective.' Beijing has set its official growth target this year at around 5%, although many economists consider that goal to be ambitious because domestic spending remains sluggish. The government has introduced a series of aggressive moves since last year in an attempt to get people spending, including key rate cuts, abolishing some restrictions on homebuying and a consumer goods trade-in scheme. In a signal of further deflationary pressure, Chinese factory gate prices fell in June at the fastest rate in nearly two years, the NBS also said on producer price index (PPI) declined 3.6% year-on-year, accelerating from a 3.3% drop in May, and faster than the 3.2% decline estimated in the Bloomberg survey. 'I think it is too early to call the end of deflation at this stage,' Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, wrote in a note. China's once-booming real estate market has been mired in a crisis for years, stalling many large construction projects and spooking would-be homebuyers. 'The momentum in the property sector is still weakening,' Zhang said.
Gulf Today
09-07-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
China's consumer inflation up 0.1 per cent YoY in June
China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, was up 0.1 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in June, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Wednesday. The CPI in urban regions rose 0.1 per cent year-on-year last month, while that in the rural regions was down 0.2 per cent, according to the data. On a monthly basis, the CPI dipped 0.1 per cent in June, China Daily quoted the data as showing. In the first half of 2025, the country's CPI posted a 0.1-percent decline compared with the same period last year, according to the bureau. The official data also indicated that the producer price index (PPI), which measures costs for goods at the factory gate, went down 3.6 per cent year-on-year in June. On a month-on-month basis, the PPI dropped 0.4 per cent in June, according to the data. In the first half of 2025, the PPI dropped by 2.8 per cent year-on-year, the data showed. China to host 200 digital economy, AI training programmes for Global South China's consumer prices fell at a slower pace in March, while the annual decline in factory-gate prices deepened, official data showed on Thursday. The country's Consumer Price Index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, fell by 0.1 per cent year-on-year in March after a 0.7 per cent drop in February, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). China Daily reported that within the CPI, food prices experienced a year-on-year decline of 1.4 per cent, compared to a decrease of 3.3 per cent in February. Month-on-month, the CPI dipped 0.4 per cent in March, following a 0.2 per cent drop in February. The growth in core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices and is deemed a better gauge of the supply-demand relationship in the economy, rose by 0.5 per cent year-on-year in March after a 0.1 per cent dip in February. Dong Lijuan, an NBS statistician, attributed the month-on-month CPI decline to the abundant food supply due to warmer weather, lower prices of travel-related services in the off-season and declining international oil prices. Dong also highlighted the emergence of some positive signs, such as the narrowing decline in year-on-year CPI and the growth in core CPI, saying policies aimed at boosting consumer demand started to take effect and the impact of the timing difference of the Spring Festival holiday gradually faded. China's Producer Price Index (PPI), which gauges factory-gate prices, dropped by 2.5 per cent year-on-year in March, widening from a 2.2 per cent fall in February, the NBS said. On a month-on-month basis, the PPI dropped 0.4 per cent in March after a 0.1 per cent decrease in February, according to the NBS. Dong said the factory-gate prices declined due to lower prices for domestic petroleum products and certain export-oriented industries, seasonal weakening demand for energy products such as coal, and the declining prices in several raw materials. Meanwhile China will launch the 'Digital South' initiative under the framework of the Global Development Initiative (GDI), offering 200 training programmes in artificial intelligence (AI) and the digital economy to Global South countries over the next five years, Premier Li Qiang announced during the 17th BRICS Summit. Speaking during plenary sessions held on Sunday and Monday in Rio de Janeiro, Premier Li highlighted key topics including strengthening multilateralism, AI, environmental and climate change, and global health, Xinhua News Agency said. Leaders of BRICS member states, partner countries, guest nations, and representatives of international organisations attended the meetings. The current international economic and trade order, as well as the multilateral trading system, are under severe strain, and the global economic recovery remains challenging, Li said. He noted that the Greater BRICS cooperation should uphold its founding purpose, meet the needs of the times, safeguard and practice multilateralism, promote the establishment of a fair and open international economic and trade order, and unite the strength of the Global South to make greater contributions to global stability and development. He emphasised the need to open up new blue oceans for economic growth by expanding cooperation in emerging areas such as the digital and green economies, leveraging AI to empower a wide range of industries and benefit countless households, and helping Global South countries enhance their capabilities. As part of this commitment, China will host 200 training programmes in the digital economy and AI for Global South countries over the next five years. Premier Li also invited global participation in the upcoming World Artificial Intelligence Conference, scheduled to take place in China this July. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has announced that the European Union aims to rebalance its economic relationship with China by demanding fair and reciprocal access for European companies to the Chinese market. Agencies
