Core Insights - In April 2025, the national industrial producer's ex-factory prices decreased by 2.7% year-on-year and 0.4% month-on-month, while the purchase prices decreased by 2.7% year-on-year and 0.6% month-on-month [1][4][6] - The average decline in ex-factory and purchase prices from January to April 2025 was 2.4% compared to the same period last year [1][7] Group 1: Year-on-Year Changes - In April, the prices of production materials fell by 3.1%, contributing approximately 2.28 percentage points to the overall decline in ex-factory prices [3][6] - The mining industry saw a significant price drop of 9.4%, while raw materials and processing industries experienced declines of 3.6% and 2.3%, respectively [3][7] - Consumer goods prices decreased by 1.6%, with food prices down by 1.4% and durable goods prices down by 3.7% [3][7] Group 2: Month-on-Month Changes - In April, production material prices decreased by 0.5%, impacting the overall ex-factory price level by approximately 0.37 percentage points [6][9] - The mining sector's prices fell by 2.1%, while raw materials and processing industries saw declines of 1.0% and 0.2%, respectively [6][9] - Consumer goods prices decreased by 0.2%, with food prices down by 0.1% and durable goods prices down by 0.7% [6][9] Group 3: Purchase Price Trends - In April, the purchase prices for fuel and power decreased by 7.7%, while black metal materials and chemical raw materials saw declines of 6.7% and 4.1%, respectively [9][10] - Prices for agricultural products and textile raw materials fell by 2.9% and 2.3%, respectively, while prices for non-ferrous metal materials and wires increased by 8.5% [9][10]

Inflation Trends - In February, China's Consumer Price Index (CPI) decreased by 0.7% year-on-year, against a market expectation of a 0.4% decline, following a 0.5% increase in January[1] - The average CPI for January-February showed a slight decline of 0.1% compared to the same period last year, while December's CPI had a 0.1% increase[5] - Food prices fell by 1.3% year-on-year in January-February, compared to a 0.5% decline in December[5] Core CPI and PPI Analysis - The core CPI for January-February increased by 0.3% year-on-year, slightly down from a 0.4% increase in December[5] - The Producer Price Index (PPI) in February dropped by 2.2% year-on-year, slightly worse than the expected 2.1% decline and an improvement from a 2.3% drop in the previous month[9] - The prices of production materials decreased by 2.5% year-on-year, contributing approximately 1.86 percentage points to the overall PPI decline[9] Price Movements and Policy Implications - February's PPI saw a month-on-month decrease of 0.1%, following a 0.2% decline in January[10] - The government has set a CPI growth target of around 2% for 2025, down from 3% in 2024, indicating a shift in monetary policy focus[13] - The report emphasizes the importance of maintaining liquidity and aligning monetary supply growth with economic growth and price expectations[13]