China's bulk commodity price index continued its upward trend in December 2025, marking the eighth straight month of month-on-month gains and the highest level recorded since June 2024, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) on Monday.
The index stood at 117.9 points in December, up 3.2 percent from November, data released by the CFLP showed.
Of the 50 major types of bulk commodities monitored by the federation, 31 saw price rises on a monthly basis.
The strongest gains were seen in lithium carbonate, refined tin and apples, with month-on-month rises of 15.5 percent, 11.7 percent, and 8.5 percent, respectively.
Analyzed by sectors, the sub-index for nonferrous metals prices rose 4.9 percent month on month, the sub-index for agricultural products prices saw an increase of 2.5 percent month on month, and the sub-indexes for mineral prices, ferrous metals prices and chemical prices also edged up slightly, increasing by 0.8 percent, 0.4 percent, and 0.3 percent month on month respectively.
China's bulk commodity price index up for eight consecutive months
China's bulk commodity price index up for eight consecutive months
China's bulk commodity price index up for eight consecutive months
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.
China's power use up 5.2 percent in Q1
