Aljazeera – Imports and exports record unexpected drop for June, amid worsening trade and manufacturing conditions. China’s trade surplus fell 14 percent in June with drops recorded in both imports and exports compared to a year earlier. The unexpected decrease in the data announced on Wednesday suggests a further slowdown in the Asian economic giant on the back of global weakness. The figures are seen as the latest to set alarm bells ringing over the health of China’s rebound from a prolonged downtrend as trade and manufacturing conditions have worsened this year. Exports slipped 3.1 percent to $174.3bn while imports were down 0.7 percent at $147.1bn, resulting in a trade surplus of $27.1bn, according to figures from data from the General Administration of Customs. Average expectations in a survey of 20 economists by Dow Jones Newswires had been for a 3.3 percent rise in exports and imports to go up 5.5 percent. ”Currently China’s foreign trade is facing grave challenges,” Zheng Yuesheng, General Administration of Customs spokesman, told reporters. He said “prolonged sluggish foreign demand” was the main cause, followed by rising export prices in foreign currency terms, labour costs, and a deteriorating trade environment due to growing trade disputes. Read Article
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