China’s Factory Activity Hits the Lowest Level in 19 Months Amid Power Crisis

Chinese street vendors and customers gather at a local market outside a state owned coal-fired power plant in Anhui Province, China, on June 14, 2017. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

China’s factory activity shrunk in September for the first time since February 2020, following sweeping curbs on electricity usage, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Data show the official manufacturing Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) in September was at 49.6, down from 50.1 in August. The economic indicator fell below score 50 for the first time in the past 19 months, which equals a decline in sector activity.