Economic Performance of the Province from January to April 2026

Deep News05-21

From January to April, the provincial economy operated with overall stability. Industrial output above designated size maintained growth, with the shipbuilding sector showing a particularly strong performance. The value added of industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 1.4% year-on-year. Specifically, the value added of high-tech manufacturing grew by 3.7%.

By sector, the value added of the mining industry decreased by 7.3% year-on-year, while manufacturing increased by 3.7%. The production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water declined by 1.4%. By ownership type, state-controlled enterprises saw a 0.6% increase in value added; private enterprises experienced a 0.8% decrease; collective enterprises grew by 11.3%, shareholding enterprises increased by 1.9%, and enterprises with foreign, Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan investment decreased by 0.3%.

Among the 40 major industrial categories in the province, 17 sectors recorded year-on-year growth in value added, representing a growth coverage of 42.5%. Notably, the railway, shipbuilding, aerospace, and other transport equipment manufacturing sector surged by 51.3%. Other significant increases included rubber and plastic products (up 18.4%), petroleum, coal, and other fuel processing (up 12.0%), agricultural and sideline food processing (up 10.2%), raw chemical materials and chemical products (up 8.9%), and general-purpose equipment manufacturing (up 4.7%). Conversely, automobile manufacturing declined by 3.9%.

In terms of product output, the production of civilian steel ships increased by 2.4 times year-on-year. Other notable gains included rolling bearings (up 29.6%), sulfuric acid (100% equivalent, up 23.8%), transformers (up 23.3%), ferroalloy (up 21.6%), chemical drug substances (up 14.0%), wood-based panels (up 15.3%), paper products (up 9.3%), flat glass (up 7.9%), fresh and chilled meat (up 6.9%), rubber tire casings (up 3.9%), and crude oil processing volume (up 3.4%). In contrast, steel output fell by 8.7% and automobile production decreased by 7.9%.

Fixed-asset investment for the province declined, although investment in the primary industry maintained growth. Total fixed-asset investment decreased by 23.4% year-on-year, with construction project investment down 21.4%. By industry, investment in the primary (agriculture) sector increased by 10.3%, while the secondary (industrial) sector fell by 23.6% and the tertiary (services) sector dropped by 25.6%. By sector, infrastructure investment decreased by 16.7%, manufacturing investment fell by 23.5%, and real estate development investment plunged by 36.1%. Investment in high-tech manufacturing declined by 21.8%, with computer and office equipment manufacturing investment surging 1.4 times, but electronic and communication equipment manufacturing investment dropping by 34.4%.

Retail sales of consumer goods declined overall, but consumption in certain upgraded categories grew rapidly. The total retail sales of consumer goods reached 328.02 billion yuan, a decrease of 1.0% year-on-year. Looking at retail sales by category from above-designated-size units, basic living consumption provided solid support. Retail sales of grain, oil, and food increased by 5.2%, daily necessities grew by 7.4%, clothing, shoes, hats, and textiles rose by 7.7%, and beverages jumped by 15.4%. Consumption of some upgraded goods grew rapidly: retail sales of wearable smart devices surged 6.2 times, computers and related products increased 2.1 times, smartphones rose by 81.1%, and household appliances with energy efficiency grades 1 and 2 grew by 59.5%. Conversely, consumption of oil products and automobiles declined, with retail sales of petroleum and related products down 6.5% and automobile retail sales falling 16.4%.

Imports and exports continued to grow, with exports increasing at a faster pace. According to customs statistics, the total value of goods imports and exports was 260.28 billion yuan, an increase of 8.1% year-on-year. Exports amounted to 140.83 billion yuan, growing by 12.7%, while imports totaled 119.45 billion yuan, up 3.2%. In terms of export commodities, agricultural product exports reached 11.83 billion yuan, up 13.5% year-on-year. Exports of mechanical and electrical products were 74.57 billion yuan, a significant increase of 23.9%. Within this category, ship exports soared by 1.2 times to 15.56 billion yuan; electronic component exports grew 74.2% to 9.72 billion yuan; auto parts exports increased 14.2% to 5.32 billion yuan; and automobile (including chassis) exports rose 41.5% to 3.49 billion yuan. Exports of high-tech products reached 17.75 billion yuan, up 23.9%, with exports of electronic technology products growing 76.4% to 9.62 billion yuan.

The consumer price index (CPI) for residents rose, while producer prices for industrial products declined. From January to April, the provincial CPI increased by 1.2% year-on-year. Urban areas saw a 1.4% rise, while rural areas experienced a 0.5% increase. By category, prices for food, tobacco, liquor, and dining out increased by 1.2%. Clothing prices rose by 0.6%. Housing prices decreased by 0.1%. Prices for household goods and services increased by 1.5%. Transportation and communication prices remained flat. Prices for education, culture, and entertainment rose by 0.7%. Healthcare prices increased by 1.3%. Prices for other goods and services surged by 17.0%. Over the same period, the provincial Producer Price Index (PPI) for industrial products decreased by 2.1% year-on-year, and the Industrial Producer Purchase Price Index (IPI) also fell by 2.1%.

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