Q1 GDP beats expectations to grow 4.8% YOY

A traffic police officer prepares to check a truck at a service station near Shanghai, which has ordered tighter restrictions on travel in and out of the city as China battles its most severe Covid outbreak since the early days of the pandemic in 2020.

Yin Liqin | China News Service via Getty Images

BEIJING — China’s first quarter GDP grew faster than expected despite the impact of Covid lockdowns in parts of the country in March, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics Monday.

First quarter GDP rose by 4.8%, topping expectations of a 4.4% increase from a year ago.

Fixed asset investment for the first quarter rose by 9.3% from a year ago, topping expectations for 8.5% growth. Investment in manufacturing rose by 15.6% in the first quarter from a year ago, and infrastructure saw an 8.5% increase over the same period.

Industrial production in March rose by 5%, beating the forecast for 4.5% growth.

However, retail sales in March fell by a more-than-expected 3.5% from a year earlier. Analysts polled by Reuters anticipated a 1.6% decline.

Beginning in March, the country has struggled to contain its worst Covid outbreak since the initial phase of the pandemic in 2020. Back then, lockdowns across more than half the country resulted in a 6.8% contraction in first quarter growth from a year earlier.

“We must be aware that with the domestic and international environment becoming increasingly complicated and uncertain, the economic development is facing significant difficulties and challenges,” the bureau said in a statement.

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“We must coordinate the efforts of Covid-19 prevention and control and economic and social development, make economic stability our top priority and pursue progress while ensuring stability, and put the task of ensuring stable growth in an even more prominent position,” the bureau said.

Retail sales grew by 3.3% in the first quarter from a year ago, but the apparel, autos and furniture subcategories still posted declines for the period.

Within retail sales, jewelry declined the most and was down by 17.9% in March from a year ago. It was followed by a 16.4% decline in catering and a 12.7% decline in clothing and shoes, the data showed.

“Although [the] Chinese economy will come under near-term pressure because of pandemic controls, we remain confident in China economy’s long-term resilience and vitality,” Monica Li, director of equities, at Fidelity International, said in a note.

Among signs of support for longer-term growth, Li noted how “the strong issuance of special local government bond since second half last year has set the stage for accelerating infrastructure investment in future.”

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/18/china-economy-q1-gdp-beats-expectations-to-grow-4point8percent-yoy.html