Means of production prices mixed in China

BEIJING -- Prices of capital goods monitored by the Chinese government stayed mixed in mid-March, official data showed.

Of the 50 major goods monitored by the government, including seamless steel tubes, gasoline, coal, fertilizer, and some chemicals, 24 reported rising prices during the period, 24 registered lower prices, and two saw prices unchanged, compared with that in early March, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Hog prices declined 3.3 percent in mid-March compared with that in early March.

The readings, released every 10 days, are based on a survey of nearly 2,000 wholesalers and distributors in 31 provincial-level regions.