The federation attributed the slowdown to the shrinking market demand, rises in operating costs during the period and the disruptions to transportation and employment due to the pandemic, official Chinese media reported.

Specifically, the sub-index for business courier logistics dropped in March by 1.3 percentage points from the previous month, while cross-border courier logistics slipped 1.2 percentage points.

The sub-index tracking manufacturing business express logistics standing at 96.5 per cent, down by 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.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)