BEIJING — China's logistics business continued to expand in December, but the growth rate was slightly lower than that in November, according to industry data.

The logistics performance index for December came in at 58.6 percent, 0.3 percentage points lower than in November, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below 50 reflects contraction.

Despite the minor drop in the index, the logistics business still stayed in the expansion zone in December, reflecting active economic activities in the upstream and downstream of the supply chain, said He Hui, director of the China Logistics Information Center.

The sub-indices for new orders and business activity expectations stood at 56.8 percent and 56.2 percent, respectively, indicating that the logistics firms remained upbeat about the future market outlook.