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BEIJING – China's manufacturing sector continued to expand in April, though at a slower pace, said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Sunday.
While both the production and the new orders indices are still in the expansion territory, the gap between them has widened, which needs to be closely watched
Zhao Qinghe, Senior statistician, National Bureau of Statistics
The country's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) came in at 51.2 in April, lower than the 51.8 recorded in March, according to NBS data.
The reading fell short of market expectations but still stayed above the boom-bust line of 50 for the ninth straight month.
The slower expansion was in part due to sluggish growth in both market demand and supply, said NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe.
The sub-index for production stood at 53.8 in April while the sub-index for new orders came in at 52.3, both down from the level a month ago.
"While both the production and the new orders indices are still in the expansion territory, the gap between them has widened, which needs to be closely watched," Zhao said.
The lower-than-expected expansion was also a result of contraction in the high energy-consuming industries, lower price at factory gate, and slower expansion in both imports and exports, Zhao said.
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On a positive note, equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing continued robust growth, with the sub-indices coming in at 52.1 and 53.4 respectively, well above the 51.2 registered for all manufacturing industries.
Consumer goods manufacturing also rose to 52.2, indicating an increasingly important role it plays in the economy, Zhao said.
NON-MANUFACTURING SECTOR EXPANDS TOO
Official data showed that the country’s non-manufacturing sector continued to expand in April though at a slower pace compared with a month ago.
NBS data showed the non-manufacturing PMI reached 54 in April, down from 55.1 in March.
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| Employees process laptop components at an industrial park in Chongqing, Southwest China, April 22, 2014. (Photo / IC) |
The index for commercial activities in the service industry came in at 52.6, down from 54.2 registered in March.
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Notably, the index for new orders in the service sector fell below the boom-bust line of 50 to 49.7, indicating sluggish market demand.
A slower expansion in manufacturing-related service sector was the main reason behind the tepid growth, according to Zhao.
Activities in construction industry was also robust as demand for infrastructure kept rising this year, according to Zhao. The sub-index for construction commercial activities came in at 61.6, well above the boom-bust line of 50.
