China's machinery industry production and sales rebounded in the first half of this year
August 23 02:22:56, 2025
On August 6, the China Machinery Industry Federation (CMIF) held a press conference to release its report on the economic performance of the machinery industry in the first half of 2013. The event was attended by key officials, including Executive Vice President Cai Weici, Yu Qingxi, Zhao Xinmin from the Statistical Information Department, and Dong Yang, who is also the Executive Vice President and Secretary General of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. During the conference, Cai Weici provided an in-depth analysis of the industry's performance and offered insights into the future trends for the rest of the year.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the value added by the machinery industry in January-June 2013 grew by 9.2% compared to the same period in 2012, marking a slight improvement from the previous year. While the growth rate in the first two months stood at 9%, it was 0.9 percentage points lower than the overall industrial growth rate during that time. However, the sector showed a positive trend, with the growth rate gradually increasing over the months. By May, the monthly growth rate had reached 9.9% and 9.7%, respectively, surpassing the general industrial growth rate for those months. By June, the cumulative growth for the machinery industry was only 0.1 percentage point behind the national industrial growth.
Despite this progress, the industry faced challenges due to weak demand from end-users, leading to intensified competition in the market. Prices for mechanical products continued their downward trend, with the cumulative price index for machinery products remaining below 100% for 18 consecutive months as of June. In February, the index stood at 98.8%, and by June, it dropped further to 98.6%. This indicates that the pricing pressure remains significant. Out of 142 product categories, 82 saw a year-on-year decline in ex-factory prices, accounting for 57.75% of all products.
Looking ahead, the industry expects a slightly improved growth rate compared to 2012, but overall prices are likely to remain low. Production and sales are expected to grow by approximately 12%, while profit growth may reach around 8%. Export volumes are anticipated to remain roughly similar to the previous year. In response to these conditions, the industry must leverage policy support, actively push for structural reforms, and shift toward more sustainable development models to enhance the quality of growth and ensure long-term stability.