The total value added of China’s industrial enterprises above the designated size grew by 6.3 per cent year on year (YoY) in the first two months this year—1.1 percentage points (pps) faster than that in last December.

The value added of manufacturing went up by 6.6 per cent YoY in the period, a release from National Bureau of Statistics of China said. 

China’s economy got off to a promising start in the first two months this year, with the total value added of industrial enterprises above the designated size growing by 6.3 per cent YoY.
The value added of manufacturing rose by 6.6 per cent YoY.
The retail sales of clothes, shoes, hats and textiles went up by 10.4 per cent YoY, while the total value of foreign trade in goods was up by 18.3 per cent YoY.

The value added of state-owned enterprises increased by 4.2 per cent YoY during the period, while shareholding enterprises recorded a 6.9 per cent YoY rise. Enterprises funded by foreign investors, including those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, grew by 4 per cent YoY, whereas private enterprises posted the highest growth of 7.4 per cent YoY.

In February, the total value added of industrial enterprises above the designated size went up by 0.83 per cent month on month (MoM).

The manufacturing purchasing managers’ index stood at 49 per cent in the same month and the production and operation expectation index was 53.2 per cent—0.6 pp higher than that in January.

In January-February 2026, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 8,607.9 billion yuan—up by 2.8 per cent YoY—1.9 pps faster than that in last December.

The retail sales of clothes, shoes, hats and textiles went up by 10.4 per cent YoY in the two months.

In February, the total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 0.81 per cent MoM.

In the first two months this year, the online retail sales of goods were worth 2,081.2 billion yuan ($312.18 billion)—up by 10.3 per cent YoY and accounting for 24.2 per cent of the total retail sales of consumer goods.

In the first two months this year, the total value of foreign trade in goods was 7,732.1 billion yuan—up by 18.3 per cent YoY—13.4 pps faster than that in December 2025. The value of exports was 4,617.8 billion yuan—up by 19.2 per cent and the value of imports was 3,114.3 billion yuan—up by 17.1 per cent YoY.

Imports and exports with Belt and Road partner countries grew by 20 per cent YoY during the two months, while the same by private enterprises went up by 22.8 per cent YoY during the two months.

The country’s consumer price index (CPI) in January-February 2026 went up by 0.8 per cent YoY. It increased by 0.2 per cent YoY in January and by 1.3 per cent YoY in February.

The CPI went up MoM by 0.2 per cent in January and 1 percent in February.

In the first two months, the producer prices for industrial products went down by 1.2 per cent YoY. In January, these went down by 1.4 per cent YoY and went up by 0.4 per cent MoM. In February, these decreased by 0.9 per cent YoY and rose by 0.4 per cent MoM.

In the first two months, the purchasing prices for industrial producers dropped by 1.1 per cent YoY.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

India’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) yesterday issued a notification easing foreign direct investment (FDI) norms, while keeping a close tab on the ownership structures of investing entities, especially from China and countries that share a land border with India.

Countries that share land borders with India are China, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Pakistan and Bhutan.

India has eased its FDI norms, while keeping a close tab on the ownership structures of investing entities, especially from China and countries that share a land border with India.
Such entities holding up to 10 per cent non-controlling stakes under the ‘automatic route’, or without government approval, are allowed to invest, subject to sectoral caps, but receiving firms will have to report details.

Entities from such countries holding up to 10 per cent non-controlling stakes under the ‘automatic route’, or without government approval, are allowed to invest, subject to sectoral caps, but companies receiving the investment will have to report details to the industry department, according to DPIIT’s Press Note 2 (2026).

However, government approval for inbound investment will also be needed if an Indian company with existing foreign investment goes through transfer of ownership in the future and the new beneficial owner is from a land border country, including China.

‘Beneficial owner’ has also been defined as an entity that controls the investment in line with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Modifications were made in Press Note 3 (2020) introduced to prevent opportunistic takeovers of Indian companies during the pandemic. The note then said an investor from a land border country could go only through the government approval route.

The changes will come into effect from the date of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) notification.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

Turkiye’s exports increased by 1.6 per cent year on year (YoY) to $21.65 billion in February this year, with exports of chemicals and readymade garments (RMG) declining, Turkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM) chairman Mustafa Gultepe and Minister of Trade Omer Bolat announced recently.

In January-February 2026, cumulative exports reached $41.4 billion, while exports over the past twelve months totalled $272.8 billion.

“While 14 of our sectors increased their exports, 12 sectors experienced contraction,” Gultepe said in a release.

Turkiye’s exports increased by 1.6 per cent YoY to $21.65 billion in February, with exports of chemicals and RMG declining, Turkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM) chairman Mustafa Gultepe and Minister of Trade Omer Bolat announced recently.
RMG exports in February were worth $1.3 billion—a drop of 2 per cent YoY, while chemical exports were worth $2.3 billion—a decrease of 7 per cent YoY.

RMG exports in February were worth $1.3 billion—a drop of 2 per cent YoY, while chemical exports were worth $2.3 billion—a decrease of 7 per cent YoY.

The top five exporting provinces were Istanbul, Kocaeli, Bursa, Ankara and Izmir.

In February, 950 Turkish companies exported for the first time.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)