Reuters, BeijingChinese import growth slowed faster than expected last month, as inbound shipments of commodities, such as iron ore and copper, weakened, while export growth more than halved, in line with a general cooling in demand for electronic gadgets. China’s imports rose 11.9 percent last month, cooling from March’s 20.3 percent rise, official data showed yesterday, missing analysts’ expectations for an 18 percent growth. Last month’s numbers left the country with a trade surplus of US$38.05 billion, compared with forecasts of US$35.50 billion, and above US$23.93 billion in March. China’s large trade surplus with the US has drawn criticism from US President Donald Trump. Foreign trade is expected to face a better environment this year compared with the past two years, the report said.

Source: Taipei Times May 08, 2017 16:08 UTC