BEIJING — China’s chemical sector saw slower value-added growth in May, official data showed.

The value added for the Chinese chemical industry grew 3.8 percent year-on-year in May, 0.3 percentage points slower than the same period 2018, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

The sector’s total value added for the Jan-May period grew 4.4 percent year-on-year, 0.8 percentage points faster than the same period of last year.

Output of ethylene reached 8.48 million tonnes in the first five months of 2019, up 9.8 percent year-on-year. Fertilizer output totaled 24.2 million tonnes, up 2.4 percent year-on-year.