China’s exports rose 16.4 percent in March, beating a Reuters’ analyst forecast of 3.2 percent to reverse a decline of 1.3 percent in February, data from the Chinese customs showed Thursday.
The country’s imports rose 20.3 percent, down from a surge of 38.1 percent a month ago, but still above the rise of 18.0 percent analysts predicted.
China’s trade surplus in U.S. dollar terms was $23.93 billion in March, more than double the $10 billion analysts had forecast. The world’s second largest economy posted a rare $9.15 billion trade deficit in February.
Exports in the first quarter of the year rose 8.2 percent from the same period last year, while imports surged 24.0 percent. China’s first-quarter trade surplus was $65.61 billion.
China’s economic data in January and February can be highly skewed by the timing of the long Lunar New Year holidays, when offices and factories shut for a week or more.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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