Means of production prices mostly fall in China

BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Most of the capital goods monitored by China's statistical authorities registered higher prices in early December compared with late November, official data showed Thursday.

Of the 50 major goods classified in nine categories, including seamless steel tubes, gasoline, coal, fertilizer, and some chemicals, 21 reported higher prices in the period, 26 saw price declines, while the prices of three remained unchanged, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Specifically, the price of liquefied natural gas went up 7 percent in early December compared with late November, while the price of anthracite decreased by 1.6 percent.

During the same period, hog prices went down 3.4 percent, according to the NBS data.

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