Some China-related numbers that you may have missed:
5m: The number of face masks being shipped overseas every day from Yiwu, Zhejiang province. This is a small boom for the city known as China’s small commodities capital, as it has seen many factories close due to the global economic downturn.
$205b: Tax revenue for the State Administration of Taxation (SAT) for the first quarter of 2009, down 6.9% year-on-year. The SAT is urging provincial-level tax authorities to close local tax loopholes in order to increase revenue.
42% – Increase in China sales for Gucci in 2008, 10 times its global growth rate. China is one of the world’s fastest-growing luxury markets, according to Bain & Co, a market research consultancy.
6.6% – The drop in China’s producer price index (PPI) for April. It is the fifth month of declines and wider than March’s drop of 6%. The PPI measures changes in wholesale prices and is a closely watched indicator of inflation.