BEIJING: China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, dipped 1.8 percent in July from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced Tuesday.

This marked the sixth consecutive month of decline since the index dropped 1.6 percent in February, the first fall since October 2002.

The index was unchanged compared with June, according to the NBS. The CPI fell 1.7 percent in June year on year.

The country's producer price index (PPI), a major measure of inflation at the wholesale level, fell 8.2 percent year on year in July, according to the NBS. It showed a month-on-month increase of 1 percent.

The July decline compared with a 7.8-percent drop in June and 7.2-percent drop in May year on year.

The industrial output accelerated 10.8 percent in July from a year earlier,after gaining 10.7 percent in June. China's industrial output up 10.7% in June

China's retail sales grew 15.2 percent in July year on year. China's retail sales up 15% in '09 H1

The power generation expanded 4.8 percent in July from a year earlier. China's June power consumption up 3.79%: report

China's imports and exports continued falling in July from a year earlier, the General Administration of Customs announced Tuesday.

Exports dropped 23 percent year on year last month while imports were 14.9 percent lower than a year earlier. June exports down 21.4%, decline slows