Core Viewpoint - The economic outlook for August indicates resilience under the easing of external demand pressures and the gradual withdrawal of extraordinary internal policies, with highlights in exports, production, and service consumption, while manufacturing investment, infrastructure investment, and durable goods consumption may continue to weaken due to policy rhythms [2][4]. Exports - It is expected that August dollar-denominated exports will grow by approximately 7% year-on-year, while imports will increase by around 2%. Key observations include a significant year-on-year increase of 9% in port container throughput and a manufacturing PMI average of 50.88% among major economies [4][14][15]. Production - The industrial growth rate for August is projected to be around 6.0%. High-energy-consuming industries are expected to remain stable, with a recovery in crude steel production growth. However, downstream consumption production may be relatively weak, as indicated by a PMI of 49.2% in the consumer goods sector [5][13]. Service Consumption - August is expected to see improved resident travel conditions, with increases in the business activity index and new orders in the railway and aviation sectors, likely boosting dining, accommodation, and entertainment consumption [5][21]. Social Financing and Investment - New social financing in August is anticipated to reach 2.1 trillion, an increase of 780 billion compared to the same period last year. The stock growth rate of social financing is expected to decline to around 8.7% [6][22]. - Fixed asset investment growth is projected to fall to around 1.0%, with manufacturing investment at 5.3% and real estate investment at -12.5% [6][18]. Price Levels - The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is expected to decline to around -0.5% year-on-year, while the Producer Price Index (PPI) is projected to recover from -3.6% to approximately -2.9% year-on-year [7][11][12]. Durable Goods Consumption - The "old-for-new" policy is being reintroduced with refined subsidy arrangements, but durable goods consumption growth may slow. Retail sales growth is expected to be around 3.8%, with automotive sales declining by 3.5% [6][20]. Real Estate Sales - Real estate sales area growth is expected to be around -8.0%, with significant declines in sales figures for major property companies [19]. Financial Sector - The government bond issuance and corporate bond issuance in August are projected to be around 1.2 trillion, with a decrease in net financing for government bonds and corporate bonds compared to the previous year [22][24].

Demand - In August, external demand is expected to outperform internal demand, with exports projected to decline by 5.1% due to high base effects and tariff impacts, but the pressure is manageable due to improving external demand and market share gains[1] - Domestic consumption and manufacturing investment are expected to weaken, with retail sales projected to grow by only 4.4% year-on-year, influenced by limited use of subsidy funds[1][27] - High-frequency indicators show that retail sales of passenger cars and white goods in August increased by only 0.8% and 2.1% year-on-year, respectively[27] Supply - The manufacturing PMI rose by 0.1 percentage points to 49.4% in August, indicating sustained production activity, with the production index increasing by 0.3 percentage points to 50.8%[3][45] - Industries with high external demand, such as textiles and specialized equipment, showed significant production index increases of 23.6 percentage points to 57.1% and 8.6 percentage points to 63.9%, respectively[49] - Industrial added value is expected to grow by 5.8% year-on-year in August, supported by resilient indicators in the export chain[4][54] Inflation - The Producer Price Index (PPI) is expected to show limited year-on-year improvement at -2.9%, despite rising commodity prices and a low base effect, with the main raw material purchase price index increasing by 1.8 percentage points to 53.3%[5][61] - Consumer Price Index (CPI) is projected to decline by 0.4% year-on-year in August, constrained by weak food prices and downstream PPI[6]

Economic Indicators - In August, the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was 49.4%, the Non-Manufacturing Business Activity Index was 50.3%, and the Composite PMI Output Index was 50.5%, showing a slight increase from the previous month [1][2] - The Manufacturing PMI has been below the critical line for five consecutive months, indicating ongoing economic downward pressure [1] Manufacturing Sector - The production index rose to 50.8%, up 0.3 percentage points from last month, while the new orders index increased to 49.5%, up 0.1 percentage points [2] - The recovery in manufacturing is attributed to the easing of adverse weather conditions and the resumption of the third batch of "national subsidies" for durable consumer goods [2][3] - The prices of major raw materials and factory output prices rose to 53.3% and 49.1%, respectively, indicating a continuous improvement in manufacturing market prices [2][3] Service Sector - The Non-Manufacturing Business Activity Index increased to 50.3%, with the service sector index reaching 50.5%, marking a significant recovery [4] - The summer consumption effect has positively impacted sectors such as transportation and hospitality, with related indices remaining above 60.0% [4][5] - The business activity expectation index for the service sector rose to 57.0%, indicating optimism among service enterprises regarding market prospects [5] Construction Sector - The construction sector's business activity index declined due to ongoing rainy weather, although it remains above 53%, indicating sustained growth in infrastructure-related activities [5] - The construction PMI is expected to rise into the expansion zone as weather conditions improve and growth stabilization policies take effect [5]

Report Information - Report Title: Export Throughput Maintains Resilience, Price Trends Diverge [1] - Report Date: August 25, 2025 - Analysts: Zhang Jiqiang, Wu Jing, Wu Yuhang - Contact: Li Zihao Core Viewpoints - In the third week of August, external demand showed high throughput year-on-year, but freight rates were weak with a widening decline. The real estate market had mixed performance in transactions, with new and second-hand housing sales continuing to decline year-on-year, and housing prices yet to stabilize. On the production side, the industrial freight volume was good, coal prices rose, and production maintained a differentiated resilience. In the construction industry, cement supply and demand improved marginally, while black metal supply and demand were weak. In the consumption sector, travel remained resilient, and automobile consumption increased slightly. Prices of crude oil were significantly affected by external factors, and the fundamentals restricted black metal prices, while Powell's dovish signals supported copper prices [2]. Summary by Category Consumption - Travel maintained a high level, with increases in subway ridership, congestion delay index, and flight operation rates similar to the previous year. Automobile consumption increased slightly, textile consumption recovered, and express delivery pick-up volume remained high [3]. Real Estate - Real estate transactions were differentiated. New housing transactions were basically flat, with second-tier cities leading. Second-hand housing transactions recovered, especially in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Chengdu. The listing price and quantity of second-hand housing both decreased, and the land premium rate increased while land transactions decreased [4][6]. Production - Freight volume remained high, and the data of operating rates were differentiated. In the power sector, coal consumption increased, hydropower decreased, and coal prices rose. In the construction industry, the funds in place increased year-on-year, cement supply and demand improved, black metal supply and demand declined, and asphalt operating rates decreased [5][13][14]. External Demand - Port throughput remained high, but freight rates declined. The cumulative cargo throughput and container throughput of ports were at a high level. The RJ/CRB index increased year-on-year, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) decreased, and international route freight rates weakened. South Korea's exports in the first 20 days of August increased by 7.62% year-on-year, and Vietnam's exports in the first half of August increased by 15.56% year-on-year [5]. Prices - The prices of agricultural products, crude oil, and cement increased, while the prices of black metals were differentiated, and the prices of non-ferrous metals and glass decreased. The increase in crude oil prices was due to geopolitical risks and increased demand, while the differentiation of black metal prices was affected by supply and demand and policies [20][21].

Revenue Insights - In July, general public budget revenue reached 2.03 trillion, marking a year-on-year increase of 0.1%, the first positive growth since the beginning of the year[3] - Monthly revenue growth rebounded significantly by 3.0 percentage points to a new high of 2.6%[3] - Tax revenue increased by 4.0 percentage points to 5.0%, the highest monthly figure since December of the previous year[3] Tax Contributions - The contribution of stamp duty saw a notable improvement, significantly influenced by favorable capital market performance in July[3] - Non-tax revenue continued to decline, with a year-on-year drop of 12.9%, exacerbating the overall revenue growth pressure[3] - Value-added tax contribution fell by 0.1 percentage points, highlighting ongoing domestic demand weakness and low inflation impact on corporate revenues[3] Fiscal Expenditure and Gaps - Fiscal expenditure in July rose by 2.7 percentage points to 3.0%, with most major expenditure areas showing varying degrees of increase[12] - The budget revenue-expenditure gap narrowed slightly to 2.49 trillion, but remains substantial, necessitating continued government bond financing[12] - Cumulative fiscal deficit from January to July expanded by 1.83 trillion, with government debt financing reaching 67.1% of the annual plan, significantly higher than the previous two years[26] Real Estate and Land Revenue - Government fund budget revenue fell sharply by 11.9% year-on-year to 8.9%, primarily due to a 14.7% drop in land transfer revenue[18] - The contribution of land transfer revenue to government fund budget revenue decreased by 11.1 percentage points to 5.3%[18] - The real estate market remains unstable, with significant imbalances in housing price-to-income ratios in major cities, affecting land market activity[18] Future Outlook - If domestic and external demand continues to decline, there is a pressing need for the central government to adopt a more aggressive fiscal expansion strategy[26] - The potential impact of new tariffs from the U.S. on exports necessitates ongoing monitoring of economic indicators[26] - The overall economic environment suggests that substantial improvements in fiscal revenue are unlikely in the coming months[3]

Core Viewpoint - The People's Bank of China has maintained the Loan Prime Rate (LPR) for both 1-year and 5-year terms at 3.0% and 3.5% respectively for three consecutive months, indicating a stable monetary policy environment amid economic fluctuations [1] Group 1: Loan Prime Rate (LPR) - The 1-year LPR is set at 3.0% and the 5-year LPR at 3.5%, both remaining unchanged for three months [1] - The stability in LPR suggests a cautious approach by the central bank in response to current economic conditions [1] Group 2: Economic Outlook - According to Wang Qing, Chief Macro Analyst at Dongfang Jincheng, macroeconomic data showed a downward trend in July, with potential external demand slowdown ahead [1] - There is an expectation for future policy measures aimed at boosting domestic demand and stabilizing the real estate market, which may create room for a reduction in policy rates and LPR quotes [1]

Group 1: Industrial Production - China's industrial production remains stable, with daily average pig iron output and steel plate production increasing week-on-week[1] - The operating rate of oil asphalt and some chemical products has improved, while cement clinker capacity utilization has slightly adjusted[1] - Polyester weaving and automotive tire production rates have rebounded, indicating a recovery in downstream industries[1] Group 2: Real Estate - New home sales in 30 major cities decreased by 8.9% year-on-year, but the decline rate improved by 6.2 percentage points compared to the previous week[1] - Year-to-date, new home sales have dropped by 14.2%, a 5.0 percentage point improvement from the previous month[1] - The index for second-hand home listing prices fell by 0.42% week-on-week as of August 4[1] Group 3: Domestic Demand - Movie box office revenue averaged 206.74 million yuan per day, showing a year-on-year increase of 46.2%[1] - Domestic flight operations increased by 1.6% year-on-year, with the Baidu migration index rising by 17.7%[1] - Retail sales of major home appliances grew by 10.5% year-on-year as of August 1[1] Group 4: External Demand - Port cargo throughput increased by 6.8% year-on-year, while container throughput rose by 4.1%[1] - South Korea's export value decreased by 4.3% year-on-year, a decline of 10.2 percentage points from July[1] - The Chinese export container freight index fell by 0.6% week-on-week, indicating a downward adjustment in shipping rates[1] Group 5: Price Trends - The South China industrial product index rose by 0.4%, while the black raw material index remained stable[1] - Rebar futures prices dropped by 0.8%, and spot prices fell by 0.3%[1] - Coking coal futures prices increased by 0.2%, but spot prices in Shanxi decreased by 0.6%[1]

Group 1: Economic Performance and External Demand - China's GDP grew by 5.3% year-on-year in the first half of the year, with net exports contributing an increase of 1.0 percentage points to economic growth [1] - In Q2, GDP growth slowed to 5.2%, with external demand and consumption contributions decreasing by 0.9 and 0.1 percentage points respectively, while investment contribution increased by 0.8 percentage points [1] - The negative impact of US tariff policies is expected to intensify in the second half of the year, necessitating the effective release of domestic demand potential to stabilize growth [1] Group 2: Trade Dynamics with the US - In the first half of the year, China's exports to the US fell by 10.7%, while imports decreased by 9.2%, leading to an 11.5% drop in trade surplus [2] - The US saw a 21.2% decline in exports to China and a 15.6% decrease in imports from China, with a 12.5% reduction in trade deficit [2] - Despite a reduction in tariffs announced in mid-May, bilateral trade has not fundamentally improved [2] Group 3: Monthly Trade Trends - In May, China's exports to the US dropped by 34.5%, and imports fell by 18.1%, with a 41.5% decrease in trade surplus [3] - By June, the decline in exports to the US moderated to 16.1%, while imports decreased by 15.5% [3] - The US experienced a 42.1% drop in exports to China in May, with a 41.4% decline in imports, but the decline narrowed in June [3] Group 4: Impact of Tariff Policies - Over half of the Chinese goods exported to the US have been significantly affected by the current tariff situation, with 53.5% of product categories experiencing lower export growth than the average [4] - In Q2, 24.5% of products exported to the US saw declines of over 40%, but this only accounted for 2.4% of total export value [5] Group 5: Future Trade Projections - The WTO predicts a 0.9% increase in global goods trade for the year, but warns that recent tariff changes will negatively impact global trade prospects [7] - The IMF has raised its global economic growth forecast but emphasizes that rising tariffs could weaken economic growth and increase uncertainty [6] Group 6: Domestic Economic Strategies - The Chinese government is focusing on releasing domestic demand potential as a key strategy to counter external disruptions [10] - Recent policies aim to stimulate consumption through financial support for personal loans and service sector businesses, enhancing market vitality [14]

Core Viewpoint - The report from Huatai Securities indicates that while external demand uncertainty is decreasing due to the reduction of U.S. tariff policy disruptions, the impact of a potential slowdown in global trade activities after the "export grabbing" trend subsides still needs to be observed [1] Group 1: Economic Indicators - From January to June, the broad fiscal expenditure, including general public budgets and government funds, increased by 8.9% year-on-year, a significant improvement compared to a decline of 2.8% in the same period last year, contributing positively to economic growth in the first half of the year [1] - The implementation of "reciprocal tariffs" in early August may significantly raise the U.S. weighted average import tariff level, introducing uncertainty to external demand trends [1] Group 2: Policy Implications - Continuous effective fiscal policy is crucial for stabilizing domestic demand and confidence [1] - The need for timely reinforcement of domestic fiscal measures after initial efforts, as well as the effectiveness of new policy financial tools in boosting investment, are areas of concern [1]

Core Insights - Monthly commodity price forecast indicates oil prices in a fluctuating range, while copper and gold prices are expected to trend upwards [2] Domestic Demand - New housing and passenger vehicle sales growth rates have declined, while second-hand housing sales have rebounded; consumer electronics sales prices in August have shown a year-on-year decline [2] - In August, new housing sales saw a year-on-year decline, while second-hand housing sales increased but prices fell; the high base and hot weather contributed to a decrease in passenger vehicle sales growth, with retail sales declining and wholesale sales recovering [2] - Movie box office revenue and attendance have decreased but remain at historically high levels; tourism consumption continues to rise, with hotel occupancy rates increasing and revenue per available room up compared to last year [2] External Demand - The extension of the US-China tariff exemption for three months has been announced, while shipping volumes from China to the US continue to decline [3] - Overall exports are weakening, with a drop in CCFI shipping rates and a significant decrease in container throughput; however, the number of departing ships has increased [3] Production - The effects of capacity reduction are yet to be seen, with manufacturing employment reaching a new low [4] - Recent steel production has decreased due to maintenance and iron water transfer, while the profitability of sample steel mills has slightly declined but remains acceptable [4] - The average daily coal consumption of six major power generation groups has significantly increased, driving up coal prices [5] - The manufacturing employment index has increased month-on-month but shows a year-on-year decline, reaching a historical low [6] Prices - Tariff exemptions have suppressed gold prices; domestic rebar prices have increased, while cement and thermal coal prices continue to rise, and glass prices have decreased [6]