China’s Manufacturing Activity Hits Five-Month Low Amid Weak Demand

The outlook among manufacturers remains bleak as domestic demand weakens and external pressures from trade tensions increase. China’s economy, worth $18.6 trillion, grew more slowly than expected in the second quarter. Factory gate prices were at their worst in 13 months, and employment remained in negative territory, with the employment sub-index last expanding in February 2023. This suggests a sluggish domestic economy increasingly reliant on exports for growth.