China manufacturing activity plummets amid Trump tariff war

China’s factory activity slowed sharply in April due to escalating U.S.-China trade tensions, with Beijing responding by imposing higher tariffs. Despite the punishing tariffs on U.S. products, China saw a 12% surge in exports last month as businesses rushed to comply. Meanwhile, official data showed a Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) drop to 49.0, marking the lowest since December 2023 and signaling contraction, far steeper than expected forecasts. economists warn that this could deepen global economic disruption, raise inflation, and slow growth.