SMEs report improved performance

BEIJING (APP): China’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) registered a further increase in their activities in the first quarter of this year as the country’s economy continues its robust recovery, industrial data showed Sunday.
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Index, based on a survey of 3,000 SMEs from eight major industries, came in at 89.3 in Q1, up from 88 in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2022, the China Association of Small and Medium Enterprises said in a monthly report.
The figure, although still lower than the boom-and-bust line of 100, reversed the downward trend seen since the second quarter of 2021.
The sub-indexes for all eight major sectors rallied in Q1, with that of the accommodation and catering industry, the information transmission, computer service and software industry, and the transportation, postal and storage industry marking the more significant increases among all sectors tracked.
Thanks to the country’s overall recovery momentum and expanding market demand, SMEs were more confident in business development, reflected in their improved market expectations, the association said, adding that their capital shortage had eased.
But the association still cautioned about the difficulties of rising labor and housing costs, calling for efforts to improve the business environment, and maintain the continuity, stability and transparency of government policies.
China’s bulk commodity market sees improving demand in March
China’s bulk commodity market saw improving fundamentals in March with a marked increase in sales as demand rebounded, industrial data showed. The China Bulk Merchandise Index, a gauge of domestic bulk commodity market growth, rose to its highest level since August 2020, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.
The index stood at 103.4 percent for March, up 0.6 percentage points compared with February.
A reading above 100 indicates expansion, while a reading below 100 reflects contraction.
The sub-indices for bulk commodity supply and sales went up compared with the previous month, while the sub-index for inventory went down.
The federation expected that the domestic commodity market will maintain a stable and positive trend with more room for commodity prices to climb in April.