China's light industry sector posted a robust start in the first two months of the year, according to the latest data, which suggests an uptick in consumer demand and the positive impact of plans to stabilize growth across the sector.

According to the latest figures from the China National Light Industry Council, the value-added output in the light industry sector for enterprises above the designated size grew by 7 percent year on year in the first two months, and was up 1.7 percentage points compared to the end of last year.

Among 91 major light industrial products, 69 saw an increase in output, accounting for over 75 percent of the total, with the value-added output of the plastic furniture and battery manufacturing sectors shooting up by more than 20 percent.

In the consumer market, the effects of targeted policy measures continue to take hold with a raft of supportive steps designed to stimulate consumption all bearing fruit.

Among these was the extension of the consumer goods trade-in policy which was first successfully implemented in 2024, and has so far driven cumulative sales of 323.26 billion yuan (over 46.8 billion U.S. dollars) this year, with high-efficiency home appliances and smart glasses posting particularly strong sales performance.

Meanwhile, retail sales in 11 categories of light industrial goods exceeded 1.5 trillion yuan (about 217 billion U.S. dollars), up 9.3 percent year on year, during the January-February period.

There were also encouraging signs in terms of investment at the start of this year, with five of the nine key light industrial sectors enjoying investment growth. The agricultural and sideline food processing sector, as well as the leather and papermaking sectors each saw a more than 10 percent increase in investment.

The export structure also continues to improve, according to the data, which revealed most of the 22 major export sectors achieved growth, with exports of batteries and battery components surging 42.6 percent year on year, showing a significant increase in export market vitality.

Last September, China announced a two-year work plan to stabilize growth in the light industry sector, aiming to strengthen its role in supporting steady economic expansion. The plan for 2025 and 2026 outlined 15 tasks, focusing on optimizing supply, boosting consumption, maintaining international competitiveness, improving the industrial ecosystem, and strengthening the momentum for high-quality development.