Factory slump deepens as Trump’s tariffs hit hard

Supply strain: A woman works at a textile factory in east China. The US tariff hikes have taken a toll on external demand, with new export orders declining at the fastest rate since July 2023. — AFP

BEIJING: China’s factory activity slipped into the worst contraction since December 2023, revealing early damage from Donald Trump’s tariffs and prompting calls for a speedy policy boost.

The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell more than expected to 49 from 50.5 in March, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said yesterday.