The economic performance of the light industry in the first two months of this year has started steadily.

This article is adapted from: Consumer Daily

Our correspondent reports: According to the latest data from the China Light Industry Federation, in the first two months of this year, the value added of light industries above a designated size increased by 7.0% year over year, accelerating by 1.7 percentage points compared with the end of last year. Of 91 major light-industry products, 69 saw increases in output, with a growth coverage of 75.8%. The value added growth rates of plastic furniture and battery manufacturing both exceeded 20%.

In terms of the consumer market, the policy effects have continued to be released. In the first two months, the retail sales of 11 categories of light-industry goods exceeded 1.5 trillion yuan, up 9.3% year over year. The “trade-in for upgrading” policy for consumer goods has been steadily advanced; it has cumulatively driven sales of 15k yuan. Sales of products such as high-energy-efficiency home appliances and smart glasses have performed especially well.

Among nine key light-industry sectors, five achieved growth in investment. Investment growth rates in agricultural and sideline food processing, leather, and paper making all exceeded 10%.

The export structure has continued to improve. Among 22 major export industry categories, most recorded growth. Exports of batteries and battery parts increased by 42.6% year over year, and the vitality of export markets has significantly improved.

（New paper）