China factory activity eases, service sector gains in April

HONG KONG – A monthly survey has found that China’s factory activity slipped by a fraction on slightly softer demand.

The official purchasing managers’ index released on Monday came in at 51.4 for April, easing from 51.5 in the previous month.

That’s still above the 50-point mark that separates expansion from contraction on the index’s 100-point scale.

The latest numbers come as trade tensions between China and the U.S. remain elevated, with potential implications for China’s sprawling export-oriented manufacturing sector.

The China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing’s survey found that factory output held steady but new orders and new export orders weakened for the month, indicating waning demand.

Activity in China’s services sector, meanwhile, picked up pace again. The group’s non-manufacturing purchasing managers’ index rose to 54.8 from 54.6 in March.