Of the 50 major goods classified in nine categories, including seamless steel tubes, gasoline, coal, fertilizer, and some chemicals, 40 reported lower prices in the period. Nine registered price increases, and the price for one remained unchanged, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
During the period, the prices of ribbed steel bars dropped 2.6 percent, while prices for coking coals remained unchanged. Those for liquefied natural gas and petroleum gas fell 2.8 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively.
Hog prices were up by 0.7 percent, and cotton prices gained 1.1 percent in the same period, NBS data showed.
The figures, released every ten days, are based on a survey of nearly 2,000 wholesalers and distributors in 31 provincial-level regions across the country.