Consumer prices up over 3pct annually

In June 2018, the Composite Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 3.11 percent year-on-year to 112.84 and was up by 0.14 percentage points from 2.97 percent growth in May, according to the Statistics and Census Bureau. The bureau attributed the June rise to increased charges for eating out, increasing gasoline prices and rising rental costs. On a month-to-month basis, the Composite CPI in June increased by 0.36 percent, driven by the arrival of summer clothing and footwear. For the 12 months preceding June 2018, the average Composite CPI rose by 2.13 percent, with notable increases recorded in the price indexes of health (4.88 percent), education (4.73 percent) and clothing and footwear (4.43 percent). Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on households in Macau, categorized by monthly income brackets.

Shenzhen textile pavilion attracts record attendance

A record 971 exhibitors from 12 countries and regions, and 17,664 trade buyers from 35 countries and regions, participated in this year’s Intertextile Pavilion Shenzhen, up from 721 exhibitors and 15,608 trade buyers in 2017, according to organizers. Exhibitors from China, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the U.K. were represented again at this year’s fair, while exhibitors from India, Indonesia, Thailand and Turkey were new faces in 2018. This year’s top 10 buyer countries and regions excluding mainland China were Hong Kong, Taiwan, the U.S., Korea, India, Japan, Brazil, Australia, the U.K. and Macau. The event has emerged as the platform of choice for suppliers to connect with leading brands, with Shenzhen fast establishing itself as a major hub in Chinese fashion, home to over 1,000 brands and some 30,000 fashion designers.