China’s imports and exports both contracted in March, with trade data falling well short of forecasts and rattling nerves over the state of the world’s second-biggest economy. Exports decreased 6.6 per cent in March from a year earlier, missing forecasts for a 4.9 per cent rise. It was the second consecutive weak month following February’s 18 per cent year-on-year contraction. More video The value of imports fell 11.3 per cent year-on-year in March – a weaker than expected performance. But in volume terms, most of China’s commodities imports rose in the first quarter even as international prices fell. Strong commodity imports reflect robust domestic demand, as well as some demand from companies that use commodities imports to access credit. That left China with a small trade surplus on the month of $7bn, rebounding from its $23bn deficit a month earlier. The weak export figures at the start of […]