China's December exports rise 2.3 % year on year in yuan-denominated terms

[BEIJING] China's exports rose 2.3 per cent from a year earlier in December in yuan-denominated terms, while imports dropped 4.0 per cent.

That left a trade surplus of 382.1 billion yuan (S$83.3 billion) for the month, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said on Wednesday.

Dollar-denominated figures have not yet been published. Economists had expected an export decline of 8.0 per cent in dollar terms and an import decline of 11.5 per cent.

China's 2015 exports fell 1.8 per cent year on year, while 2015 imports tumbled 13.2 per cent, GAC said.

That left at 2015 trade surplus of 3.69 trillion yuan, GAC said.

China is expected to post its weakest economic growth since the global financial crisis in the fourth quarter, adding pressure on policymakers to take more steps to ward off a sharper slowdown that could jolt global markets.

REUTERS