Beijing: China`s August exports fell a less than expected 5.5 percent from a year earlier, while imports declined by 13.8 percent.
That left the country with a trade surplus of $60.24 billion for the month, the General Administration of Customs said on Tuesday, compared with forecasts of $48.20 billion.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected dollar-denominated exports to fall 6.0 percent, after a sharp drop of 8.3 percent in July, and predicted imports would fall by 8.2 percent, worsening from a 8.1 percent drop in July.
Global investors will be closely watching China`s August data over coming weeks to see if the economy is at risk of a hard landing.
Though most economists believe a gradual and prolonged slowdown is more likely, a stock market crash and the unexpected devaluation of the yuan currency in August have heightened concerns about stability in the world`s second-largest economy.
