The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China’s manufacturing sector was at 49.0 percent in February this year, down 0.4 percentage points compared to January this year, as announced by China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on March 1.
In the given month, the production index for China's manufacturing sector was at 50.2 percent, down 1.2 percentage points month on month, while the overall new order index for the sector was at 48.6 percent, down 0.9 percentage points compared to the previous month.
The raw material inventory index for China's manufacturing sector was at 48.0 percent in February, up 1.2 percentage points compared to the previous month. Also in February, the employment index for China's manufacturing sector stood at 47.6 percent, down 0.2 percentage points month on month, while the supplier delivery time index for the sector in question was at 49.8 percent, remaining below the 50 percent threshold.