Staff members of ZTO Express load a truck with produce in Linyi County of Yuncheng, north China's Shanxi Province, Sept. 27, 2020. (Xinhua)
BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China's express logistics sector slowed down last month, data from the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing showed.
The index tracking courier logistics stood at 98.3 percent in March, down 2.1 percentage points from a month earlier, according to the federation.
It attributed the slowdown to the shrinking market demand and rises in operating costs during the period, and the disruptions to transportation and employment due to COVID-19.
Specifically, the sub-index for business courier logistics dropped 1.3 percentage points from the previous month, while cross-border courier logistics slipped 1.2 percentage points.
China's manufacturing activity also became less brisk in March, with the sub-index tracking manufacturing business express logistics standing at 96.5 percent, down 5.4 percentage points month on month, the data showed.
Based on the statistics of business courier services, the express logistics index reflects the development of the country's industrial activities and express logistics sector.
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