China’s Economy Shows Strain as US Tariff Threats Loom

China’s economic figures show weak consumer spending, highlighting vulnerabilities in its economy.

An employee uses balloons to attract customers at a fashion retailer having a promotion sale at a shopping mall in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong Province, on Nov. 1, 2019. Andy Wong/AP

China’s latest economic data indicate that looming U.S. tariffs are already impacting its economy as domestic consumption remains weak, economists have told The Epoch Times.

According to data published on Dec. 16 by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of China, in November, the country’s industrial output grew by 5.4 percent year-on-year. It’s slightly faster than the rate in October (5.3 percent) and expectations for a 5.3 percent increase in a Reuters poll.