China's electronic information manufacturing sector posts rapid growth in January-March

China's electronic information manufacturing sector saw rapid growth in the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest official data released Thursday by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

The value-added industrial output of enterprises above the designated size in the sector rose 13.6 percent year on year in the first quarter. This growth rate was 7.5 percentage points higher than the country's overall industrial output and 1.1 percentage points above that of the high-tech manufacturing sector.

Among major products, smartphone production reached 298 million units, a year-on-year increase of 6.9 percent.

During the January-March period, enterprises above the designated size in the sector generated 4.31 trillion yuan (about 631 billion U.S. dollars) in operating revenue, up 14.8 percent from a year earlier. Export delivery value increased 4.2 percent year on year.

China's fixed-asset investment in the electronic information manufacturing sector went up 5.4 percent year on year in the first quarter, higher the growth rate recorded in the January-February period by 4.2 percent.

"Enterprises above the designated size" is a statistic term used in China to refer to industrial enterprises each with an annual main business revenue of 20 million yuan (2.78 million U.S. dollars) or more.

China's electronic information manufacturing sector posts rapid growth in January-March

France's gross domestic product (GDP) stalled in the first quarter of 2026, recording zero growth from the previous quarter, according to preliminary data released on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE).

The stagnation came as final domestic demand excluding inventories remained sluggish. Household consumption edged down 0.1 percent in the first three months of the year, a reversal from the 0.4 percent growth seen in the fourth quarter of 2025. Meanwhile, gross fixed capital formation also fell back by 0.4 percent.

Foreign trade exerted a strong negative contribution to GDP growth in the first quarter, subtracting 0.7 percentage point after adding 0.6 point in the previous quarter. This downturn was driven by a sharp 3.8 percent drop in exports, while imports also continued to decline, falling 1.7 percent.

In contrast, changes in inventories provided a strong positive contribution of 0.8 percentage point, rebounding from a negative 0.7 percentage point in the fourth quarter of 2025. The INSEE said the inventory build was driven mainly by aerospace products.

Total production of goods and services remained sluggish in the first quarter, rising by 0.1 percent after a 0.2 percent increase in the fourth quarter of 2025.

France's GDP stalls in Q1 2026 as foreign trade drags