[Economy](/Economy)
Purchasing managers' index hits highest in a year in positive sign for economy
China has kept its economic target for this year unchanged at "around 5%," despite new tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump that threaten to hit the massive export sector. © Reuters
BEIJING (Reuters) -- China's manufacturing activity expanded at the fastest pace in a year in March, an official factory survey showed on Monday, in a positive sign for the world's second-largest economy as it deals with an escalating U.S. trade war.
The official purchasing managers' index (PMI) was 50.5 in March versus 50.2 in February, above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction, and matching a median forecast of 50.5 in a Reuters poll. It was the highest PMI reading since March 2024.