Chinese exports rebounded in January, returning to growth as import declines eased, although analysts were unconvinced the jump in outbound shipments pointed to a robust recovery.
Dollar-denominated exports rose 9.1 per cent year on year, according to official statistics released on Thursday, besting a median forecast from economists polled by Reuters of a 3.2 per cent drop and recovering from a 4.4 per cent decline in December.
Imports also beat forecasts but were still down 1.5 per cent last month as worries over weakening domestic investment and consumption persisted. The trade flows for the month shook out to a trade surplus of $39.2bn in January.