China March factory activity expands but at slower pace:
Caixin
The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing
Managers' index (PMI) fell to 51.2 in March, missing economist forecasts' of 51.6 and down from February's 51.7.
Activity at China's factories expanded for a ninth straight month
in March but at a softer pace as new export orders slowed, a private
survey showed, raising questions about whether a recent pickup in global
demand is losing steam.
The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing
Purchasing Managers' index (PMI) fell to 51.2 in March, missing
economist forecasts' of 51.6 and down from February's 51.7.
While
the index was still well above the 50.0 mark which separates expansion
from contraction on a monthly basis, the rates of growth in output,
total new orders, input and output prices all slipped in March from the
previous month.
Growth in export orders slowed sharply, falling to a three-month low of 51.9 from 53.8 in February.
The
findings contrast with those of China's official factory survey on
Friday, which showed activity grew the fastest in nearly 5 years in
March. It also showed orders improved from home and abroad
But
the Caixin/Markit survey tends to focus more on small and mid-sized
manufacturers, which may be benefitting less from a months-long
construction boom than big industrials such as steel mills. A sub-index
of the official survey had showed small companies were still struggling,
though conditions were slowly improving.
The private survey is also believed to be more reflective of export-oriented firms.
While
China and other North Asian exporters have seen a strong rebound in
shipments in recent months both in value and volume terms, the outlook
is being clouded by fears of growing U.S. trade protectionism under
President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration on Friday slammed
China again on a range of trade issues from its chronic industrial
overcapacity to forced technology transfers and long-standing bans on
U.S. beef and electronic payment services.
China's manufacturing
sector has been enjoying its best profits in years as a booming housing
market and government infrastructure spending boosted construction.
But
economists worry that fresh curbs on the heated property market and
tighter credit conditions, coupled wit uncertainties about global trade,
may intensify pressure on the world's second-economy later in the year.
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