国金高频图鉴 | 7月外需强于内需&韩国出口高频走弱

Economic Data Summary - In July, economic data showed that external demand was stronger than internal demand, with production growth outpacing demand growth. The industrial output and service production index in constant prices grew by 5.7% and 5.8% year-on-year, respectively, while prices remained at a low level for the year [2][3][4] - The retail sales in July increased by 3.7% year-on-year, down from 4.8% in the previous month. Fixed asset investment for the first seven months saw a cumulative year-on-year decline of 1.2 percentage points to 1.6%, with manufacturing, infrastructure, and real estate investments all showing a downward trend [3][4] Automotive Sales Trends - In early August, automotive sales turned negative, with retail sales of passenger cars from August 1 to 10 reaching 452,000 units, a 4% decrease compared to the same period last year. Factors contributing to this decline included reduced "trade-in" incentives, diminished promotional discounts, and lower loan rebates [6][10] - The outlook for automotive sales remains weak, although the third batch of subsidy funds was distributed in late July, which may gradually restart "trade-in" programs in some regions. However, the intensity of price wars in the automotive sector has decreased, leading to higher consumer purchase costs and sustained high levels of consumer hesitation [10] U.S. Tariff Increases - In June, the U.S. customs reported an increase in tariff rates, with the overall tariff rate rising to 10%. The tariff rate on China decreased from 48.2% in May to 40.3% in June, with expectations that it will stabilize around 40% moving forward, which is an increase of 29.3 percentage points compared to 2024 [11][13] - Tariff rates for other major trading partners, such as Vietnam, Japan, and Germany, also increased to 9.3%, 15.9%, and 11.8%, respectively, which may further suppress U.S. import demand [14] South Korea Export Data - In early August, South Korea's export data showed a decline, with exports falling by 4.3% year-on-year in the first ten days of August, following two months of positive growth. This decline is attributed to the U.S. imposing a 15% tariff on South Korean goods [15][17] - The number of container ships departing from China to the U.S. remained low, while the number heading to Vietnam also began to decline in early August. However, China's port cargo throughput and container throughput showed a significant rebound in the second week of August, with week-on-week increases of 10.9% and 19.6%, respectively [17] Commodity Price Trends - The prices of major commodities showed a weak performance in early August, with 18 out of 50 tracked production materials experiencing price increases, while 29 saw declines. Notably, coking coal and coke prices led the gains, while agricultural products and non-ferrous metals performed poorly [17]