A survey shows Chinese manufacturing activity fell to a three-year low in February amid a tariff battle with Washington and weak global demand.
The monthly purchasing managers’ index reported Thursday by the government statistics bureau and an industry group fell 0.3 points to 49.2 on a 100-point scale on which numbers below 50 indicate activity contracting. That was the lowest level since February 2016.
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Chinese manufacturers have been hurt by President Donald Trump’s punitive tariffs in a fight over Beijing’s technology strategy and cooling global consumer demand.
Trump said weekend talks in Washington made progress but companies are wary of making investments and other long-term decisions without a formal settlement.
