China's manufacturing softens in June amid export weakness

A survey shows growth in China’s manufacturing activity softened in June as export demand weakened and producers struggled with supply bottlenecks

BEIJING -- Growth in China’s manufacturing activity softened in June as export demand weakened and producers struggled with supply bottlenecks, a survey showed Wednesday. The monthly purchasing managers’ index issued by the national statistics agency and an industry group declined to 50.9 from May’s 51.0 on a 100-point scale on which numbers above 50 show activity increasing. Measures of new export orders, production and factory gate prices declined. “The latest surveys suggest that growth softened this month,” Julian Evans-Pritchard and Sheana Yue of Capital Economics said in a report. Supply shortages “continued to hold back output in the manufacturing sector.”