China’s imports unexpectedly fell in March as COVID-19 curbs across large parts of the country hampered freight arrivals and weakened domestic demand, while export growth slowed, prompting analysts to expect a worsening in trade in the second quarter. The softer trade figures are likely to reinforce expectations of more policy support from Beijing, with a government adviser on Wednesday calling for cuts in banks’ reserve requirements and interest rates to boost a flagging economy. Inbound shipments fell 0.1% from a year earlier in March, marking the first decline since August 2020, customs data showed on Wednesday. That compared with a 15.5% gain in the first two months of the year and an 8% increase forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll. […]