Exports Lift China's Industrial Output Growth To 16.2%

Strong exports underpinned growth in China's industrial output to 16.2% in the first two months of 2006 compared with a year earlier, the government said March 15. The value-added output for state-owned and large non-state enterprises totaled US$ 137 billion (1.11 trillion yuan), according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Exports of industrial products rose 24.2% in January and February from a year earlier. The growth in the first two months of this year compared with a 16.9% rise in industrial output in the first two months of last year.

Sedan output jumped 83.1% in the two months, reflecting the importance of the auto industry for the economy as a whole, but also reflecting massive investment in this sector in recent years. Enterprises were able to sell 96.99% of their output in January and February, down 0.28% point from a year ago.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2006