Prices of most production goods climb in China

BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- China's official data showed that most production goods monitored by the government posted higher prices in the first 10 Days of March compared with the previous 10 Days.

Of the 50 major goods monitored by the government, including seamless steel tubes, gasoline, coal, fertilizer and some chemicals, 32 goods saw their prices rise during the period, with 12 posting lower prices and six seeing their prices unchanged, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Prices of live pigs and methyl alcohol picked up notably while liquefied natural gas, cement and soybean meal led the declines, according to the NBS.

The reading, released every 10 Days, is based on a survey of nearly 1,700 wholesalers and distributors in 24 provinces and regions.

The data came after the NBS data showed the country's producer price index, which measures costs of goods at the factory gate, edged up 0.1 percent year on year in February, with the pace of growth unchanged from January.