China Exports Post a Surprise Jump of 3.5% in April; Imports Fall by 14.2%

China reported its exports in April has rose by unexpectedly 3.5% from a year earlier, while imports slumped 14.2%.

In March, Chinese exports fell by 6.6%, therefore Reuters analysts had predicted April exports would shrink 15.7% compared to the same period on 2019. 

While imports were expected to contract 11.2%, worsening from a slide of 0.9% in March.

Businesses and factories in China were resumed operating as the government eased some restrictive measures since March after recognizing fears over the economic impact of the coronavirus.

China posted a trade surplus of $45.34 billion for the month of April, comparing to the $6.35 billion poll’s forecast by Reuters, meanwhile in March, China reported trade surplus of $19.9 billion.