Chinese Consumer Price Index Down in JuneChina's consumer price index (CPI) dropped 1.2 percent in June over the previous month, official figures showed.According to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Thursday, the CPI dropped 1.5 percent in urban areas and dipped 0.7 percent in rural areas in June. The NBS said that the fall of the CPI was mainly due to drops in the prices of fresh vegetables and fruits in most areas of the country during the summer season. NBS statistics showed that prices of consumer goods and services dropped 1.6 percent and 0.1 percent respectively in June over May. The price of food dropped 3.2 percent over the previous month, mainly due to a 17.1 percent fall in the price of vegetables and a 22.9 percent decrease in the fruit price. In June, the prices of meat, aquatic products and catering services dropped 0.5 percent, 1 percent and 0.3 percent respectively. Meanwhile, the price of grain rose 0.3 percent and the prices of eggs and sugar grew 1.7 percent and 1.1 percent respectively. The prices of cigarettes and alcoholic products, clothes, household appliances and services, medical care, recreational and educational services and housing all saw a decrease ranging between 0.1 percent and 0.4 percent. The prices for the transport and communication sector as a whole remained unchanged in June. The drop of prices for transportation and communication equipment was largely offset by an increase in the prices of gasoline and diesel oil. In the same month, the prices of local telephone calls and monthly rents on telephone lines went up 0.7 percent and 0.4 percent respectively. According to the NBS, 29 of the 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities surveyed witnessed a lower CPI in June. |
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