China’s trade balance grew more than expected in November, aided by a surprise rise in exports as they snapped a six-month losing streak, although an unexpected drop in imports still indicated continued weakness in local demand. The country’s trade surplus grew to $68.39 billion in November from $56.53 billion in the prior month, data from the Customs Administration showed on Thursday. The reading was more than expectations for a surplus of $58 billion. The trade balance also improved from its worst level in over a year. Exports grew 0.5% in November from the prior year, beating expectations for a drop of 1.1% and ... (full story)

China’s exports unexpectedly ticked higher in November, while imports fell slightly from a year ago, according to customs agency data released Thursday. Exports in U.S. dollar terms rose by 0.5% from a year ago, contrary to expectations for a 1.1% decline, according to analysts polled by Reuters. Imports fell in U.S. dollar terms by 0.6%, missing the Reuters’ forecast for a 3.3% increase from a year ago. The muted change in trade did little to offset an overall decline by about 5% to 6% for China’s exports and imports for the first 11 months of 2023. In October, China’s imports unexpectedly rose from a year ago in ... (full story)