China records March trade deficit of $1 billion

Newspaper Title: Ahram Online

Newspaper Number:

Wednesday - 10 April 2013

A general view of a container area at Ningbo port, Zhejiang province, April 9, 2013. China recorded

a rare trade deficit in March as imports exceeded exports by US$880 million (S$1.09 billion),

data showed on Wednesday, as officials and analysts warned of lingering weakness in crucial overseas

markets.

China recorded a rare trade deficit in March as imports exceeded exports by US$880 million

(S$1.09 billion), data showed on Wednesday, as officials and analysts warned of lingering weakness in

crucial overseas markets.

The surprise data come a day after Beijing released inflation figures that come in below forecast, which

indicated the pick-up in the world's second biggest economy remained fragile.

China's custom's authority said Wednesday that imports rose 14.1 per cent on-year to US$183.07 billion,

while exports climbed 10 per cent to US$182.19 billion.

The median forecast of 15 economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires was for a March surplus of

US$14.7 billion.