China's bulk commodity price index rises for six straight months

China

China's bulk commodity price index rises for six straight months

2025-11-05 10:20 Last Updated At：23:27

The index tracking the development of China's bulk commodity market climbed for a sixth consecutive month in October, with a wider gain than in September, industry data showed on Wednesday.

The figure stood at 113.2 in October, up 1.2 percent month-on-month, marking six straight months of increases, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP).

The increase indicates stronger business confidence and a continued recovery in the bulk commodity market, as efforts to shore up growth have continued to take effect and global trade tensions ease, the federation said.

Among the 50 key types of products monitored by the federation, 16 saw prices rise on a monthly basis, with electrolytic copper, corrugated paper and coking coal leading the gains, up 6.9 percent, 6 percent and 6 percent, respectively, from September.

By sector, the nonferrous metals price sub-index climbed 3.5 percent month-on-month, driven by rising global demand for new energy, the usual peak production season, and supply disruptions caused by accidents at a copper mine in Indonesia and at an aluminum smelter in Iceland.

Supported by a modest rebound in the construction sector, the sub-index tracking mineral prices rose 0.7 percent month-on-month, reversing earlier weakness.

In contrast, the sub-indices tracking energy and chemical prices fell 1.3 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively, weighed down by external factors including lower international oil prices.

Experts said robust growth in high-tech manufacturing, equipment production, and consumer goods sectors in October, along with positive signals from the China-U.S. economic and trade talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the U.S. Federal Reserve’s second rate cut this year, have boosted corporate optimism and sustained expansion in industrial operations, with the bulk commodity market maintaining a steady upward momentum.

They cautioned, however, that uncertainties in the global economy will persist, while prices of some commodities will remain subdued and supply-demand imbalances will continue to be pronounced.

To consolidate the momentum of economic recovery, experts called for stronger macroeconomic policy adjustments and further efforts to improve efficiency and reduce costs in commodity circulation to better unlock domestic demand potential.

China's power use up 5.2 percent in Q1

China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, reached 2.5141 trillion kilowatt-hours in the first quarter of 2026, up 5.2 percent year on year, according to data released by the National Energy Administration on Monday.

A breakdown of the data shows robust growth across various sectors, as the country's economy got off to a good start in the first quarter with new growth drivers.

From January to March, China's primary industry saw an increase of 7.1 percent in power consumption, bringing total power used to 33.6 billion kilowatt-hours. The secondary industry consumed nearly 1.6 trillion kilowatt-hours, up 4.7 percent from a year ago. Within this sector, the high-tech and equipment manufacturing industry posted particularly strong growth, with electricity consumption increasing 8.6 percent year on year.

The tertiary industry recorded 8.1-percent growth in power use, totaling 483.3 billion kilowatt-hours. Notably, the battery charging and swapping service sector consumed 37.6 billion kilowatt-hours, surging 53.8 percent, while the internet data service sector used 22.9 billion kilowatt-hours, up 44 percent. The power consumption of urban and rural residents was 398.5 billion kilowatt-hours, increasing by 3.4 percent year on year.

In March alone, electricity consumption reached 859.5 billion kilowatt-hours, up 3.5 percent year on year.

China's economy grew five percent in the first quarter, outpacing expectations of some overseas institutions and reinforcing the country's role as a stabilizing force in an increasingly volatile global economy.