China's e-commerce logistics index was 108.9 points in February, down 0.3 points from the previous month, industry data showed on Thursday.
The month-on-month decline was primarily due to the Spring Festival holiday in early February, with the drop narrowing slightly, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said.
After the holiday, the e-commerce logistics market showed signs of recovery and stable growth. The sub-index of total business volume stood at 123.3 points, marking a slight 0.1-point decrease from January, but still exceeding the level recorded in the same period last year.
On the supply side, most sub-indexes held steady, with both the inventory turnover and load factor sub-indexes rising by 0.4 points month on month. This suggests that logistics companies resumed operations following the Spring Festival, and inventory turnover rates began to accelerate.
On the demand side, the recent inclusion of smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches in the country's trade-in program has continued to drive strong consumer interest in these electronic and smart products.
Moreover, with the booming box office sales from films released during the Spring Festival and the 9th Asian Winter Games, searches for cultural and sports-related products have surged, further highlighting the growing influence of the cultural and sports industries on consumer spending.
Additionally, the logistics cost sub-index dropped to 119.4 points in February, falling below 120 for the first time since January 2023. This reflects the continued effects of policies aimed at lowering logistics costs across the broader economy, with noticeable impacts in the e-commerce logistics sector.
China's e-commerce logistics index falls slightly in Feb
Conveying Iran's conditions for ending the war to Pakistan, as a mediating country, is among the key purposes of Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi's return to Islamabad, Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported on Sunday.
According to Tasnim, Araghchi's return to Pakistan is not related to nuclear negotiations with the United States. Instead, the foreign minister is expected to discuss bilateral relations with Pakistan, along with other issues such as Iran's enforcement of a new legal system on the Strait of Hormuz, seeking war compensation, guarantees against repeated "aggression by the warmongers," and lifting the U.S. naval blockade.
Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on Sunday afternoon for his second visit since Friday, following a stop in Oman. His brief visit to Pakistan aims to continue consultations with Pakistani officials, it added.
Araghchi is scheduled to visit Russia after Pakistan on the final leg of his regional tour. During his first trip to Islamabad, he met Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Arm Chief Asim Munir.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders, and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East, and tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz, blocking passage by vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States.
An April 8 ceasefire was followed by Iran-US talks in Islamabad on April 11 and 12. After the negotiations collapsed, the United States imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, preventing ships to and from Iranian ports from transiting.
A new round of negotiations had been expected in Pakistan this week, but Iran declined to attend, citing continued U.S. naval pressure and "excessive demands."
U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News Sunday that he will no longer send delegations to talk with Iran. "If they (the Iranians) want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us," he said.
Trump said that he has great respect for Pakistan, which had been hosting U.S.-Iranian talks in Islamabad, and that Pakistan will stay involved.
He repeated that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. "So if they want, they can call us. But again, they know what has to be in the agreement. Very simple: they cannot have a nuclear weapon. Otherwise, there's no reason to meet," said Trump.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said U.S. pressure and hostile actions are undermining trust and making progress toward renewed talks more difficult, according to a statement from his office early Sunday.
He added that Washington cannot pursue negotiations while increasing pressure on Iran, saying such actions "disrupt the necessary atmosphere" for diplomacy.
Iran's FM conveys conditions for ending war to Pakistan
