BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2019) China's manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for August lowered by 0.2 percentage points to 49.5, falling behind the psychologically important level of 50 points for the fourth consecutive month amid a trade spat with the United States, according to figures published Saturday by the National Bureau of Statistics.
The August index also remained lower than experts' forecasts that placed it at the level of July when it slightly rose to 49.7 points.
In February, PMI dropped to the lowest point of 49.2 over the past three years amid an escalation of the trade row between China and the United States.
Manufacturing activity is considered to be declining if PMI is lower than 50 points.
The conflict between the two largest economies erupted when US President Donald Trump decided to impose 25 percent tariffs on Chinese goods worth of $50 billion in a bid to fix the US-Chinese trade deficit in 2018. Since then, the sides have exchanged several rounds of trade duties and have been engaged in talks on a new trade deal.
