Briefly

Passenger car retail sales fall in March

Retail sales of passenger cars in China declined 10.5 percent in March year-on-year, data from the China Passenger Car Association showed on Monday. Nearly 1.58 million passenger vehicles were sold in March. Month-on-month, the figure was up 25.6 percent. In the first quarter, passenger car retail sales stood at 4.92 million units, slightly down year-on-year, the association said. About 230,000 luxury cars were sold in March, down 14 percent year-on-year and up 43 percent from the previous month. Luxury car retail sales increased sharply in early March from the previous month, but the growth momentum did not last until the end of the month, the association said.

Chinese yuan rises to 6.3645 against dollar

The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, strengthened 8 pips to 6.3645 against the US dollar on Monday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day. The central parity rate of the yuan against the US dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day.

Road logistics price index stays flat

China's road logistics price index remained flat in March year-on-year at 100.3, but was up 2.03 percent month-on-month, according to a survey jointly conducted by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and a Chinese logistics company. The sub-index for full truckload logistics price mainly measuring bulk commodity and regional transportation stood at 100.8 in the period, up almost 2 percent from February and marginally up year-on-year. Demand for road transportation fell due to multiple factors, including the sporadic resurgence of COVID-19 and geopolitical tensions, the survey showed.

Xinhua