Exports last month rose 9.1 percent from January last year, Chinese customs data showed, defying economists’ expectations of a 3.2 percent drop and a marked turnaround from a 4.4 percent decline in December. Imports fell 1.5 percent, much better than the consensus forecast of a 10 percent slide and narrowing from a 7.6 percent drop in December. Net exports dragged on China’s growth by 8.6 percent last year, Reuters calculations showed. China’s trade surplus with the US last month narrowed to US$27.3 billion, the lowest since May last year, yesterday’s data showed. Exports to the US declined 2.4 percent year-on-year, while imports fell 41.2 percent.

Source: Taipei Times February 14, 2019 16:04 UTC