Economic Indicators - The Huachuang Macro WEI index decreased to 5.03% as of May 18, down 0.12% from 5.15% on May 11[11] - Cement shipment rate increased to 41.5% as of May 16, up 2.2 percentage points from the previous week, consistent with the same period last year[20] - The average land premium rate for 100 cities dropped to 1.37% as of May 18, down from an average of 5.5% in the previous three weeks and 9.69% in April[15] Trade and Exports - U.S. imports from China fell significantly, with a year-on-year decrease of 8% in the first 21 days of May, compared to a 9.9% increase in April[5] - The number of cargo container ships from China to the U.S. decreased by 37.5% year-on-year as of May 24, compared to a 23.1% decline at the end of April[35] - The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) showed a year-on-year decline of 26.1% as of May 23, indicating a drop in shipping demand[28] Commodity Prices - Gold prices rebounded significantly, with COMEX gold closing at $3,351 per ounce, a 5% increase[1] - Domestic coal prices continued to decline, with the Qinhuangdao port price for power coal dropping by 0.5% to 611 yuan per ton[38] - The price index for iron ore (62% Fe) decreased by 1.4%, settling at $99.7 per ton[38] Debt Issuance - As of May 23, 2025, the issuance of new special bonds reached 1.68 trillion yuan, with an estimated total for the year at 4.4 trillion yuan, marking a progress rate of 38.3%[45] - The net financing progress for general government bonds reached 39.4% as of May 23, compared to 28.6% during the same period last year[53]