Industrial enterprises each with an annual sales income of at least 5 million yuan (US$733,138) in the Chinese mainland posted a year-on-year growth rate of 14.4 percent in value-added output in the first 10 months this year, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.

The growth rate was 0.8 percentage points lower than the 15.2-percent level for the January-September period, or 4.1 percentage points lower than the year-earlier level of 18.5 percent.

The enterprises realized a sales against output ratio of 97.4 percent in October, down 0.78 percentage points from the same month of last year, the bureau said.

In October alone, their combined value-added output rose 8.2 percent year-on-year, 9.7 percentage points lower than the growth rate for the same month of last year.

In breakdown, value-added output increased 7.8 percent for the textile sector, 2.7 percent for the raw chemical materials and chemical products sector, 13.8 percent for the non-metal mineral sector, 11.9 percent for equipment manufacturers, 10.9 percent for transport equipment makers, 13.9 percent for electric machinery sector, and 6.9 percent for telecom equipment, computer and other electronic equipment manufacturers.

Last month saw China produced 220 million tons of raw coal and 16.35 million tons of crude oil, up 9.2 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively, over the year-earlier level.

Pig iron output was 34.13 million tons, down 16.8 percent; crude steel output 35.9 million tons, down 17 percent; rolled steel output 42.93 million tons, down 12.4 percent; and cement production 120 million tons, up 1.1 percent.

In October, 730,000 motor vehicles were produced nationwide, down 0.7 percent. The total included 417,000 cars, up 6.2 percent.

The month also witnessed China generated 264.5 billion kw/h of electricity, down 4 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2008)