China's bulk commodity prices surged in September, buoyed by the traditional peak season for production and construction, accelerating major projects, and fueling steady improvements in manufacturing output and market demand, laying a solid foundation for stable operation of the economy in the fourth quarter.
The index tracking the country's bulk commodity prices stood at 137.6 in September, up 4.1 percent month on month and 22.9 percent year on year, data from the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing showed on Monday.
The data also showed that among the 50 key types of products closely monitored by the federation, 38 saw prices rise on a monthly basis. Methanol, ethylene glycol and coke led the gains, surging 39.5 percent, 24.8 percent, and 20.4 percent respectively from the previous month.
In September, driven by higher international crude oil prices, tighter supply and rising production costs, energy and chemical price sub-indexes jumped sharply by 14.8 percent and 13.7 percent month on month, respectively.
Meanwhile, prices for non-ferrous metals, ferrous metals, and minerals all registered monthly gains as manufacturing and construction activity picked up pace.
The rise of the country's bulk commodity prices was underpinned by a combination of seasonal production peak, improved domestic and international demand, and cost-push pressures stemming from global price volatility and tight supplies of certain commodities, according to analysts.
To consolidate the market's steady recovery, experts called for efforts to strengthen monitoring and risk prevention for key commodities, stabilize critical energy and resource supplies, and accelerate risk-sharing and benefit-sharing mechanisms across industrial supply chains to bolster economic resilience.
China's bulk commodity price index up in September
As the week-long National Day holiday enters its fifth day on Monday, many travelers across China are heading home, prompting transport authorities to ramp up services for a safe and orderly return.
Rail networks are projected to handle 21.05 million passenger trips on Monday alone, with over 1,400 additional trains scheduled to keep pace with demand. To manage heavy passenger influxes and overlapping arrivals, stations in multiple cities have opened extra exit gates, established close coordination mechanisms with local transport departments, increased bus scheduling frequencies and extended operating hours into the night. Several hubs have rolled out integrated travel services, linking high-speed rail, buses, and tourist attractions to facilitate transfers. Highways are also beginning to see increasing return traffic, with heavy congestion concentrated on routes into major cities and key inter-provincial corridors. According to the Ministry of Transport, more than 30 expressway sections nationwide are expected to see significant jams on Monday. In response, local traffic authorities have stepped up monitoring of road networks, issued timely congestion alerts and alternative route guidance, and encouraged travelers to stagger their departures.
Waterways are expected to handle 1.48 million passenger trips on Monday, up 14.8 percent year on year. To ease long queues and ticket difficulties for island trips, the Ningbo Terminal in east China's Zhejiang Province is offering online reservations for private cars heading to destinations in Zhoushan across the sea. Travelers can book a sailing half a day in advance, with separate passenger and vehicle channels and free shuttle buses in place to ensure a smoother experience.
The National Day holiday, widely known as the Golden Week, runs from October 1 to 7 this year. It is one of China's busiest travel and tourism seasons, typically triggering massive nationwide movements as hundreds of millions of people travel for family reunions or leisure.
China braces for return travel peak as National Day holiday nears end
