BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- China's road logistics price index grew slightly for a second consecutive month in March as increased production activities supported logistics demand, the latest data showed.
The index stood at 96.9 in March, up 0.25 percent from February, according to a survey jointly conducted by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and the Guangdong Linan Logistics Group.
The demand for road logistics rose slightly in March as companies' production activities picked up faster, the federation said in a statement.
Earlier data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed manufacturing activities gained momentum in the country in March. The purchasing managers' index for China's manufacturing sector came in at 50.5 last month, up from 49.2 in the previous month, returning to the expansionary zone.
A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction.
The federation expects the road logistics price index to continue the upward movement in the future, predicting the reduction of taxes and fees and the development of new economic drivers to support corporate activities and logistics demand.