The index tracking the development of China's bulk commodity market went up for the fourth straight month in August, signaling that the endogenous growth momentum of the Chinese economy is further increasing, according to industry data released on Friday.
The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) said that the index tracking the country's bulk commodity prices stood at 111.7 in August, up 0.3 percent month on month.
A reading above 100 indicates expansion, while a reading below 100 reflects contraction.
Of the 50 key types of products closely monitored by the federation, 25 saw prices rise on a monthly basis, with coke, praseodymium-neodymium oxide, and lithium carbonate posting the largest increases of 20.1 percent, 19.1 percent and 16.6 percent, respectively.
Computed by the performance of industries, equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing maintained rapid growth in the month, driving price increases in some sectors.
The price index for ferrous and nonferrous metals kept recovering in August, up 2.2 and 0.2 percent month on month.
The summer peak in energy consumption, coupled with the implementation of policies to end the phenomenon of rat-race competition, helped the energy price index rebound, increasing 2 percent from July.
The agricultural product price index fell 0.8 percent on a monthly basis.
The chemical price index reported a continued month-on-month decrease of 1 percent.
The mineral price index continued to decline, down 1.6 percent month on month, as the hot and rainy weather slowed downstream demand.
"In August, policies to expand domestic demand and combat rat-race competition kept yielding positive results, steadily boosting confidence among industries and enterprises, and accelerating the process of substituting old growth drivers for new ones. However, as the global economy is still faced with significant uncertainties, prices in some sectors have remained low. To consolidate the foundations for an economic recovery, it is essential to intensify macroeconomic regulation and adopt effective measures to fully unleash the domestic demand potential," said Zhou Xu, deputy head of the branch on bulk commodity circulation at CFLP.
Experts said that looking ahead, with the arrival of the traditional peak production season in September and October, market demand is expected to expand, enabling the bulk commodity market to maintain steady growth.
China's bulk commodity price index up in August
