Beijing: China’s export growth slowed to single digits in April, while imports were unchanged as stricter and wider COVID-19 restrictions halted factory production, disrupted supply chains and triggered a collapse in domestic demand.
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According to the international media, exports, in dollar terms, grew 3.9 % in April from a year earlier, compared with the 14.7% growth reported in March, while slightly beating analysts’ forecast of 3.2%. The growth was the slowest since June 2020.
Imports were unchanged year-on-year last month, improving slightly from a 0.1% fall in March and a little better than the 3.0%.
China posted a trade surplus of $51.12bn in the month compared to the forecast of a $50.65bn surplus. The country reported a $47.38bn surplus in March.
Beijing’s efforts to curb the country’s largest COVID-19 outbreaks in two years have clogged highways and ports, restricted activity in dozens of cities – including the commercial hub of Shanghai – and forced companies from Apple supplier Foxconn to automakers Toyota and Volkswagen to suspend some operations.
Factory activity was already contracting at a sharper pace in April, raising fears of an economic slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy, which would weigh on global growth.
