BEIJING — China's logistics sector sustained steady expansion in December, despite a slight slowdown from November, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said on Jan 4.

The logistics performance index, which tracks business volumes, new orders, employment, inventory turnover, and equipment utility rates in the sector, came in at 56.9 percent last month, down by 0.6 percentage points from November.

A reading above 50 percent indicates expansion, while a reading below that reflects contraction.

With the Spring Festival approaching, the logistics sector will see a seasonal contraction and the logistics performance index will fall back accordingly, said He Hui, director of the China Logistics Information Center.

The subindex for gross business volumes went down 0.6 percentage points from the previous month to 56.9 percent, indicating business activities were less active than the previous month. The subindex for equipment utility rates lost 1.1 percentage points from November to 55.2 percent in December.

The subindex for new orders stood at 55.8 percent, while that for business activity expectation was 53.4 percent, revealing enterprises' confidence in the market.