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China’s trade contracted again in January and February as U.S. and European demand weakened in the face of interest rate hikes, adding to pressure on official efforts to revive economic growth following the end of anti-virus controls.
Exports sank 6.8% from a year earlier to $506.3 billion, an improvement over December’s 10.1% decline, customs data showed Tuesday. Imports fell 10.2% to $389.4 billion, deepening December’s 7.3% contraction.
China’s global trade surplus for the two months edged up 0.8% over a year earlier to $116.9 billion.
Forecasters expected trade to weaken as the likelihood of a recession in Western economies increased following rate hikes by the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank to cool economic activity and record-setting inflation.
“We don’t expect exports to rebound,” Iris Pang of ING said in a report.
That adds to complications for President Xi Jinping’s government, which is trying to revive economic growth that sank last year to 3%, the second-weakest rate since the 1970s. Beijing on Sunday set this year’s growth target at “around 5%” while the ruling Communist Party tries to encourage consumer demand to reduce reliance on exports and investment.
