China Aug exports up 24.5pc, trade surplus $17.8bn

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 BEIJING: China's exports rose 24.5 percent in August from a year earlier, accelerating from the 20.4 percent rise in July, the customs administration said on Saturday.

Imports grew 30.2 percent in August over a year earlier. That left the country with a trade surplus of $ 17.8 billion in August, compared with $31.5 billion in July.

The median forecast of economists polled by Reuters was for exports to rise 21.6 percent and imports to grow 21.5 percent, resulting in a trade surplus of $25.1 billion.

Export and import growth (yr/yr % change):

Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan Dec Exp 24.5 20.4 17.9 19.4 29.9 35.8 2.4 37.7 17.9 Imp 30.2 22.9 19.3 28.4 21.8 27.3 19.4 51.0 25.6.

Rolling 12-month surplus, in billions of dollars:

Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan Bal 182.7 184.9 173.4 171.1 177.5 167.8 160.5 175.4.

Copyright Reuters, 2011