Means of production prices fall in China

BEIJING -- Most of capital goods monitored by the Chinese government registered lower prices in mid-February compared with early February, official data showed Thursday.

Of the 50 major goods monitored by the government, including seamless steel tubes, gasoline, coal, fertilizer and some chemicals, 21 reported rising prices during the period, 27 registered lower prices, while two saw prices remain unchanged, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Hog prices lost 6.8 percent in mid-February compared with that in early February.

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