Overview
- China’s official manufacturing PMI fell to 49.3 in July, marking its fourth month of contraction and missing economists’ forecasts of 49.7.
- New export orders remained in contraction for a 15th consecutive month, reflecting mounting tariff uncertainty ahead of the mid-August truce expiry.
- The non-manufacturing PMI eased to 50.1 from 50.5, signalling slower growth in China’s services and construction sectors.
- Beijing’s Politburo meeting on July 30 yielded no indication of broad new stimulus, with policy support limited to targeted consumer subsidies.
- Private-sector S&P Global data showed factory activity contracting in Japan and South Korea, underscoring a wider regional slowdown driven by trade tensions.