A week is a long time in global trade, apparently. Weak data from Japan and Korea this week suggest stronger-than-expected January trade numbers from China released last week were a blip. For investors focused on the outcome of U.S.-China trade talks, the message is clear: Pay more attention to the global slump that’s already under way. The discrepancy between Chinese and Japanese trade data is one bad sign for global economy optimists. Chinese statisticians recorded a 2% month-over-month fall in imports from Japan in January,...

Source: Wall Street Journal February 21, 2019 08:53 UTC