China Feb PPI up 6.6 pct on year earlier

China's annual producer price inflation rose to 6.6 percent in February from 6.1 percent in January, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday.

It was the highest rate since 7.1 percent in December 2004.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected a rate of 6.5 percent.

Food prices rose 11.0 percent in February from a year earlier, while prices of raw materials, fuel and power were up 9.7 percent.

The PPI in the first two months of 2008 rose 6.4 percent.

Chinese producer price index (percent change from a year earlier):

Feb Jan Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar
6.6 6.1 5.4 4.6 3.2 2.7 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.8 2.9 2.7