BEIJING — China's chemical sector saw faster value-added growth in the first eight months of this year, official data showed.

Value-added growth in the Chinese chemical industry grew 4.2 percent year-on-year in the Jan-Aug period, 0.5 percentage points quicker than the same period in 2018, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The output of ethylene reached 13.55 million metric tons during this period, up 7.9 percent year-on-year. Fertilizer output totaled 39.15 million tons, up 6.1 percent year-on-year, NDRC data showed.