China's Manufacturing Sector Slows Amid Global Economic Volatility

The Chinese manufacturing sector experienced a slowdown in July, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 49.2%, down 1.1 percentage points from June.

The non-manufacturing business activity index was also affected, dropping by 1.2 percentage points month-on-month to 49.0%. The composite PMI output index, which measures production and business operations across Chinese enterprises, fell to 49.3%, down 1.3 percentage points.

In other economic news, the US core PCE price index rose 0.1% month-on-month in June but increased 3.3% year-on-year. The Eurozone Economic Sentiment Index for July stood at 96.9, exceeding expectations.

On the agricultural products front, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee emphasized the need to stabilize the production and prices of live pigs. Brazil's corn export volume in July so far lags behind last year, while Indonesia has raised its palm oil biodiesel quota for 2026.