China’s official manufacturing index showed a weaker-than-expected contraction in September, as Beijing stepped up efforts to curb overcapacity amid weak domestic demand and global trade disruptions.
The official Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) registered 49.8 points, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. While still in contraction territory, it was the strongest reading since March.
The official PMI has remained below the 50-point threshold that separates growth from contraction since April, with manufacturers struggling from weak domestic demand and mounting pressure from high U.S. tariffs that have hurt Chinese exports to the world’s largest consumer market.
