China's export prices surge 5% in April

29 Mwezi wa tano, 2026

Imeripotiwa na AI

China's export prices rose 5 percent in April, marking the fastest increase in three years. The jump was fueled by global energy costs and demand tied to artificial intelligence for commodities such as oil, metals and semiconductors.

The increase stands in contrast to broader trends in Chinese manufacturing. Most goods exported from the country continued to see falling prices amid intense domestic competition and oversupply, which has restricted manufacturers from passing higher input costs to buyers.

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Illustration depicting rising fuel prices at a Seoul gas station amid South Korea's 2.6% consumer inflation surge from oil shock in Strait of Hormuz.

South Korea's consumer prices accelerate to 2.6% in April amid oil shock

5 Mwezi wa tano, 2026 Imeripotiwa na AI Picha iliyoundwa na AI

South Korea's consumer prices rose 2.6 percent year-on-year in April, up from March's 2.2 percent and the fastest pace in 21 months, driven by soaring fuel costs from the ongoing Strait of Hormuz disruption. Government data confirmed the figures.

China's industrial output up 5.6 percent in first four months

Official data showed China's value-added industrial output rose 5.6 percent year on year in the first four months of 2026. Growth in April reached 4.1 percent from a year earlier.

China's manufacturing PMI edges down to 50.3 in April

29 Mwezi wa nne, 2026 Imeripotiwa na AI

China's official manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell slightly to 50.3 in April from 50.4 the previous month, though it exceeded expectations. New export orders and imports expanded for the first time since early 2024, but softer domestic activity pushed the non-manufacturing PMI into contraction. Price pressures remained in expansionary territory, indicating ongoing reflation.

Asia