BI
- Chinese manufacturers' profits fell last month, but carmakers reported significant gains in the first quarter.
- Weak domestic demand is causing Chinese companies to sell products en masse overseas.
- China became the world's largest auto exporter last year, outpacing Tesla in electric-vehicle sales.
Big Chinese manufacturers' profits fell last month, but carmakers posted a significant gain in the first quarter — one of the sectors worrying US officials.
The National Bureau of Statistics reported on Saturday that large-scale manufacturers' profits dipped 3.5% in March compared with a year earlier. For the first three months of the year, profits were up 4.3% to 1.51 trillion yuan, or about $208 billion.