BEIJING (REUTERS) – Chinese exports grew by more than expected in December, customs data showed on Thursday (Jan 14), as coronavirus disruptions around the world fuelled demand for Chinese goods even as a stronger yuan made exports more expensive for overseas buyers.<\/p>\n
A robust domestic recovery also spurred Chinese appetite for foreign products in December, with import growth quickening from the month prior and beating expectations in a Reuters poll.<\/p>\n
Exports rose 18.1 per cent in December from a year earlier, slowing from a 21.1 per cent jump in November but beating expectations for a 15 per cent rise. Imports increased 6.5 per cent year-on-year last month, topping a 5 per cent forecast and picking up pace from November’s 4.5 per cent growth.<\/p>\n
Buoyant exports helped drive an impressive rebound in China’s manufacturing sector last year, as the pandemic wreaked havoc abroad. China is expected to be the only major economy to see positive growth in 2020. Exports grew 3.6 per cent over the full year and imports fell 1.1 per cent.<\/p>\n
While the pandemic will bring challenges, a reviving global economy and a steady recovery in China’s domestic economy provide a foundation for China to maintain trade growth in 2021, said Liu Kuiwen, customs spokesman, at a briefing.<\/p>\n
Going forward, analysts say sustained demand for medical supplies and work-from-home products from coronavirus-hit trading partners should support Chinese exports.<\/p>\n
But some worry a rise in raw material prices and in the yuan could squeeze exporters’ profits. The onshore yuan strengthened 6.7 per cent in 2020 — its first annual rise in three years.<\/p>\n
“Exports continued to do well last month, as renewed lockdowns abroad ensured the shift in consumption from services to goods persisted in many of China’s trading partners,” said Julian Evans-Pritchard, senior China economist at Capital Economics, in a research note.<\/p>\n
But he expected exports and imports to fall late this year as 2020 stimulus runs out and overseas consumption returns to pre-pandemic patterns as vaccines boost a recovery.<\/p>\n
“We think trade will remain resilient in the near-term but will soften later this year,” Evans-Pritchard added.<\/p>\n
China posted a trade surplus of US$78.17 billion (S$103.7 billion) in December – the highest reading on Refinitiv records going back to 2007. Analysts in the poll had expected the trade surplus to narrow to US$72.35 billion from US$75.40 billion in November.<\/p>\n
China’s trade surplus with the United States, with which it has waged a bitter trade war in recent years, narrowed to US$29.92 billion in December from US$37.42 billion in November.<\/p>\n
US President-elect Joe Biden has said he will not immediately cancel the Phase 1 trade agreement that outgoing President Donald Trump struck with China nor take steps to remove tariffs on Chinese exports.<\/p>\n
Sign up for our daily updates here and get the latest news delivered to your inbox.<\/p>\n
Get The Straits Times app and receive breaking news alerts and more. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now.<\/p>\n