According to data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics, April yarn production climbed 12.7% from year-ago levels to 1.815 million tons, the highest April reading on record. This growth marks the fastest annual pace in five months, but reflects a continued longer-term slowdown from previous years.

Over the first nine months of the 2007/08 marketing year, yarn output expanded 10.9% from the same period in 2006/07. However, the marketing year growth reflects the continued longer-term slowdown witnessed since 2005/06, when growth in yarn production peaked at over 26%.