China Industrial Output May 2008

China's industrial-production growth accelerated on rising exports, signaling that the world's fourth-biggest economy is weathering a global slowdown. Output rose 16 percent in May from a year earlier after gaining 15.7 percent in April, the statistics bureau said today.



Overseas shipments surged last month and retail-sales growth was close to the highest in nine years, keeping factories busy even as the deadliest earthquake in 32 years disrupted output in Sichuan province. The shortening of a weeklong May holiday to a three-day break boosted production.

Sichuan's small role in China's manufacturing limited the May 12 disaster's effect on production. Quake reconstruction work is boosting output of some products like steel sheets for housing.

Raw-coal production rose 18.5 percent in May from a year earlier after gaining 13.9 percent in April. Crude-oil output climbed 1.8 percent in May after increasing 0.5 percent in April.

China's export growth accelerated to 28.1 percent in May from a year earlier. Retail sales gained 21.6 percent. For the first five months, industrial production climbed 16.3 percent from a year earlier, the statistics bureau said. China's economy expanded 10.6 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier.