China: Industrial production loses momentum at the outset of the year
Industrial production increased 5.3% year-on-year in January–February, down from the 5.7% rise registered in December. The print was below market expectations of a 5.6% increase and the weakest result since the same period in 2009.
The reading reflected a sizeable slowdown in mining and the electricity, heating power, gas, and water sector. Conversely, growth in manufacturing output inched up in the same period.
On a month-on-month basis, industrial production increased 0.43% in seasonally-adjusted terms in February, matching January’s result. Annual average growth in industrial production, meanwhile, inched down from 6.1% in January to 6.0% in February.