China Manufacturing Sector Sees Strongest Growth in Over Five Years in World Economy News 04/03/2026 China’s manufacturing sector expanded at its fastest pace in more than five years during February, driven by a surge in new orders and export demand, according to the RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI released Wednesday. The headline Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 52.1 in February from 50.3 in January, marking the sharpest expansion since December 2020. A reading above 50 indicates growth in manufacturing activity. New orders increased at the fastest rate since December 2020, with export orders rising at the most pronounced pace since September 2020. The acceleration in demand led manufacturers to increase production at the strongest rate since June 2024. The volume of inputs ordered rose for the second consecutive month, with the rate of growth reaching its highest level since November 2024. Despite the increase in purchasing activity, supply chains remained stable as lead times shortened slightly from January. Input stocks expanded at the fastest rate since August 2025, while inventories of finished goods stabilized after three consecutive monthly decreases. Backlogs of work increased in February, reversing a decline seen in January. Employment rose fractionally for the second month running, marking the first consecutive increase since mid-2021. However, manufacturers remained cautious about hiring despite the rise in outstanding work. Cost pressures intensified during the month, with input price inflation accelerating to its highest rate since June 2022. Metal prices saw particularly large increases. Manufacturers raised output charges for the second consecutive month, with the rate of charge inflation reaching a 15-month high. Business confidence strengthened to an 11-month high, with firms citing stronger market demand, new production lines, and improvements in production capacity. Many businesses expected their customer bases to grow and referenced improved sales channels and partnerships. Yao Yu, Founder at RatingDog, said the manufacturing PMI is expected to maintain a moderate expansionary trend in the short term. The sustainability of the momentum depends on persistent demand and whether confidence translates into more active hiring and investment, Yu added. Source: Investing.com 2026-03-04 hellenicshippingnews... window.___gcfg = {lang: 'en-US'}; (function(w, d, s) { function go(){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], load = function(url, id) { if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.src = url; js.id = id; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }; load('//connect.facebook.net/en/all.js#xfbml=1', 'fbjssdk'); load('https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js', 'gplus1js'); load('//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js', 'tweetjs'); } if (w.addEventListener) { w.addEventListener("load", go, false); } else if (w.attachEvent) { w.attachEvent("onload",go); } }(window, document, 'script')); tweet Share