BEIJING—China’s trade surplus narrowed in May on strong imports, through the gap with the U.S. widened—in part, some economists said, because of concerns that trade tensions could worsen in the months ahead. China reported a trade surplus of $24.92 billion last month, according to customs data released Friday, narrower than April’s $28.78 billion and the $32.6 billion forecast in a poll of economists. The higher-than-expected figure came after Beijing pledged to its trading partners to increase purchases and narrow trade gaps. Even so, China’s trade surplus with the U.S. in May was up 11% from April, at $24.58 billion, according to Friday’s data. “Even if a trade war is avoided, Chinese trade growth is still likely to edge down over the coming year as the global economy loses momentum and headwinds to domestic demand from slower credit growth intensify,” said Mr. Evans-Pritchard.

Source: Wall Street Journal June 08, 2018 04:23 UTC