China's October exports rise 15.6%, imports up 21.4%, beat forecasts

[BEIJING] China's October exports rose 15.6 per cent from a year earlier, while imports expanded 21.4 per cent, both handily beating analysts' expectations, official data showed on Thursday.

That left the country with a trade surplus of US$34.01 billion for the month, the General Administration of Customs said.

Analysts polled by Reuters had expected October shipments from the world's largest exporter to have risen 11.0 per cent. Exports rose 14.5 per cent in September.

Imports were expected to have climbed 14.0 per cent, after rising 14.3 per cent in September.

Analysts were expecting China's trade surplus to have widened to US$35 billion in October from September's US$31.69 billion.

With the export outlook clouded by US tariffs and China's economy expanding at the weakest pace since the global financial crisis, policymakers in Beijing have recently turned their focus to growth boosting measures, including increasing export tax rebates and pledging more support to private firms.

REUTERS