China trade surges in May while prices at factory gates cool

Beijing

CHINA'S latest economic data shows the country's economy is holding out well despite recent tightening signals from the central bank, but the manufacturing sector is likely to soften.

Imports and exports came in above expectations in May, with imports growing 14.8 per cent and exports up 8.7 per cent in US dollar terms, official data published last week showed. The trade surplus for the month rose to US$40.8 billion, from US$2 billion previously.

The data comes as the People's Bank of China (PBOC) is tight…