China’s factory growth cools to 50.6 in October, export uncertainty rises

[Economy Concept]
XtockImages/iStock via Getty Images

The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI declined to 50.6 in October, down from September's six-month high of 51.2. This reading fell short of the market consensus forecast of 50.9.

The moderation in factory activity was attributed to slower growth in two key areas: new orders and output.

While domestic demand provided a crucial source of support for new orders, the outlook for foreign trade darkened. Export sales declined at the fastest pace since May, reflecting rising global trade uncertainty that continues to weigh on China's external sector.

OVER THE WEEKEND, the White House announced that China would halt new export controls on rare earths and drop investigations into US semiconductor firms as part of a deal under which Washington will pause certain tariffs and cancel a planned 100% levy on Chinese exports.

SEPARATELY, China announced Saturday that it will end a key value-added tax offset for some gold retailers, effective immediately, in a move that could reshape the domestic gold market.

On Monday, the Shanghai Composite [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/SHCOMP?source=section%3Asearch_bar%7Ccontent_type%3Aall%7Csection_asset%3Asearch-basic%7Csearch_item%3Ashcomp%7Crow_num%3A1%7CURL_first_level%3Anews%7Ctopic%3Asymbol] fell 0.2% to below 3,950 while the Shenzhen Component dropped 1% to 13,250 on Monday, with mainland stocks declining for the third straight session as disappointing factory activity data dampened the outlook, and the offshore yuan [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/USD:CNY#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Aglobal%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link] hovered around 7.12 per dollar on Monday, following a two-session decline.

ETFs: (NYSEARCA:FXI [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/FXI#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:KWEB [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/KWEB#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:CQQQ [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CQQQ#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NASDAQ:MCHI [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/MCHI#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:ASHR [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/ASHR#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:YINN [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/YINN#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSE:TDF [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/TDF#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:CHIQ [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CHIQ#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:GXC [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/GXC#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:EWH [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/EWH#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:KBA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/KBA#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:YANG [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/YANG#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NASDAQ:CXSE [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CXSE#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSE:CAF [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CAF#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:CWEB [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CWEB#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NASDAQ:PGJ [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/PGJ#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:KURE [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/KURE#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]).

Currency: (CNY:USD [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CNY:USD])

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On Monday, the Shanghai Composite [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/SHCOMP?source=section%3Asearch_bar%7Ccontent_type%3Aall%7Csection_asset%3Asearch-basic%7Csearch_item%3Ashcomp%7Crow_num%3A1%7CURL_first_level%3Anews%7Ctopic%3Asymbol] , and the offshore yuan [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/USD:CNY#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Aglobal%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]

ETFs: (NYSEARCA:FXI [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/FXI#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:KWEB [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/KWEB#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:CQQQ [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CQQQ#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NASDAQ:MCHI [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/MCHI#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:ASHR [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/ASHR#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:YINN [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/YINN#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSE:TDF [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/TDF#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:CHIQ [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CHIQ#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:GXC [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/GXC#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:EWH [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/EWH#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:KBA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/KBA#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:YANG [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/YANG#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NASDAQ:CXSE [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CXSE#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSE:CAF [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CAF#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:CWEB [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CWEB#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NASDAQ:PGJ [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/PGJ#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]), (NYSEARCA:KURE [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/KURE#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]).

Currency: (CNY:USD [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CNY:USD])

MORE ON CHINA MARKETS AND ECONOMY

* China's 1.1% Q3 GDP beats forecasts on policy boost, but trade war looms [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4505470-chinas-11-q3-gdp-beats-forecasts-on-policy-boost-but-trade-war-looms#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-news%7Csection_asset%3Afull_story%7Cbutton%3Abody_link]
*
PBoC holds key lending rates steady for fifth straight month [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4505472-pboc-holds-key-lending-rates-steady-for-fifth-straight-month#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-news%7Csection_asset%3Anews_title]

*
U.S.-China trade agreement leads to lifted chip design software restrictions [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4465143-us-china-trade-agreement-leads-to-lifted-chip-design-software-restrictions#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-pulse%7Csection_asset%3Anews_title]

* China's trade surplus widens amid weaker exports and deeper import slump [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4456405-chinas-trade-surplus-widens-amid-weaker-exports-and-deeper-import-slump#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-news%7Csection_asset%3Anews_title]
*
China’s May CPI declines fourth consecutive month, PPI deflation eases to two-year low [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4456404-chinas-may-cpi-declines-fourth-consecutive-month-ppi-deflation-eases-to-two-year-low#source=url_first_level%3Amarket-news%7Csection%3Amarket-news%7Csection_asset%3Anews_title]