Beijing - China's January exports easily
exceeded analysts' expectations, rising 7.9 percent from a year
earlier, while imports rose by 16.7 percent, also topping
forecasts, preliminary data showed on Friday.
That left the country with a trade surplus of $51.35 billion
for the month, the General Administration of Customs said.
But China watchers caution that trends in January and
February can be distorted by the long Lunar New Year holidays,
with business slowing down weeks ahead of time and many firms
scaling back operations or closing. The holiday fell on January
28 this year, 11 days earlier than last year.
Customs is due to release the final data for trade on February 23.
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Analysts polled by Reuters had expected January shipments
from the world's largest exporter to have risen 3.3 percent,
after a dismal 2016 that saw exports slump 7.7 percent as China
lagged an export rebound enjoyed by some of its North Asian
neighbours.
Imports had been forecast to rise 10.0 percent, accelerating
from 3.1 percent growth in December.
Analysts were expecting China's trade surplus to have risen
to $47.90 billion in January, versus December's $40.71 billion,
with growing attention on its large trade surplus with the
United States as new U.S. President Donald Trump ramps up his
protectionist rhetoric.