China’s March exports rose 16.4 percent from the previous year, while imports increased 20.3 percent. Both exceeded market expectations. Exports in the first quarter of the year rose by 8.2 percent last year, while imports surged 24.0 percent.
China’s first-quarter trade surplus was $65.61 billion. Analysts had expected March exports rose 3.2 percent on-year, after a surprise fall of 1.3 percent in February.
Imports had been expected to grow 18.0 percent, following a huge 38.1 percent expansion the previous month.