Surprise drop in China Jan exports

Shanghai

CHINA'S exports fell 3.3 per cent in January from a year earlier, while imports slumped by 19.9 per cent, both missing expectations by a wide margin, and resulting in a record monthly trade surplus of US$60 billion.

Thinking that easing measures in Europe would boost demand for Chinese goods, analysts polled by Reuters had expected exports to rise by 6.3 per cent, and im…