BEIJING — Sales of China's 23 leading loader makers totaled 84,992 in the first half of 2021, up 26 percent year-on-year, data from the China Construction Machinery Association showed.

During the period, some 17,781 loaders were exported to the overseas market, a 59-percent growth from the same period last year.

In June alone, loader exports jumped 86.5 percent year-on-year to reach 3,174.

Bucking the trend, loader sales last month came in at 12,160 units, down 8.13 percent year-on-year.

The purchasing managers' index for the manufacturing sector came in at 51 in May, indicating expansion though slightly down from 51.1 in April, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.