8月经济观察：“反内卷”影响显现，政策加码窗口临近

Economic Growth Overview - In August, China's economic growth momentum slowed down, with both supply and demand sides experiencing a decline in growth rates. Analysts suggest that due to high base effects and tariff uncertainties, along with the waning effects of the "trade-in" policy, downward pressure on the domestic economy is expected to increase in the fourth quarter, necessitating new policies to stabilize investment and promote consumption to achieve the annual growth target of around 5% [1][11]. Production Sector Analysis - In August, the industrial added value for large-scale enterprises grew by 5.2% year-on-year, a decrease of 0.5 percentage points from the previous month. The service production index growth rate was 5.6%, down 0.2 percentage points from the previous month [1]. - The "anti-involution" policy is identified as a primary reason for the cooling of industrial production. The industrial production intensity has declined for two consecutive months, influenced by extreme weather and the effects of the "anti-involution" policy [2]. - The added value of upstream production sectors showed strong performance, with non-ferrous metal smelting and rolling industries growing by 9.1% year-on-year, while coal mining and washing industries grew by 5.1% [2]. Demand Side Insights - In August, the total retail sales of consumer goods and exports in USD grew by 3.4% and 4.4% year-on-year, respectively, both showing declines from the previous month [3]. - The retail sales growth rate has been declining for three consecutive months, primarily due to the diminishing effects of the "trade-in" policy. The largest month-on-month declines were seen in home appliances and communication equipment, with decreases of 14.4% and 7.6% respectively [3][5]. Investment Trends - Investment growth has slowed for five consecutive months, with real estate, infrastructure, and manufacturing investments all experiencing varying degrees of decline [6]. - Infrastructure investment growth fell to 2.0% year-on-year for the first eight months, a decrease of 1.2 percentage points from the previous month. Manufacturing investment growth dropped to 5.1%, the lowest level since early 2021 [9]. - Analysts indicate that the decline in manufacturing investment is influenced by extreme weather and rising global trade uncertainties, which suppress the willingness of downstream enterprises to expand production [7]. Policy Recommendations - Analysts suggest that maintaining stable economic growth is becoming increasingly challenging, and timely policy adjustments are necessary. The potential for new incremental policies is anticipated, possibly by the end of September, including new policy financial tools and early allocation of local government debt quotas to improve infrastructure investment [12].