China’s exports slumped 15 per cent in March against a year earlier in a sharp reversal of the past two months’ growth and raising the prospect of disappointing first-quarter economic growth. Jitters about the slowing Chinese economy, for which Beijing has set a growth target of “about 7 per cent” this year, reverberate globally and have already helped dent commodity prices. Markets will be watching closely when the country releases its estimate for first-quarter gross domestic product on Wednesday. The weak numbers also stoked expectations of further stimulus. “China’s government will continue to ease domestic conditions, with a further cut in interest rates imminent,” said Tom Orlik, chief Asia economist for Bloomberg. China is buying less as well as shipping less: March imports fell 12.3 per cent compared with the same month last year. The March trade figure, released by China’s customs administration on Monday, contrasts with a 15 […]