China trade: export growth slows to 5.7 per cent in September, imports unchanged at 0.3 per cent

China’s exports grew by 5.7 per cent in September compared with a year earlier, down from 7.1 per cent growth in August

Imports grew by 0.3 per cent in September compared with a year earlier, unchanged from 0.3 per cent growth in August

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China’s exports grew by 5.7 per cent in September compared with a year earlier, while imports grew by 0.3 per cent last month, data released on Monday showed. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:10am, 24 Oct 2022Updated: 12:22pm, 24 Oct 2022

China’s export growth slowed in September, data released on Monday showed.

Exports grew by 5.7 per cent last month from a year earlier to US$322.76 billion, compared to 7.1 per cent growth in August, according to the delayed data released by China Customs.

The September figure was below expectations of a 5.8 per cent rise, according to Wind, a leading provider of financial information services in China.

Imports, meanwhile, grew by 0.3 per cent in September from a year earlier to US$238.01 billion, unchanged from 0.3 per cent growth in August, and below expectations of a 1.3 per cent rise.

China’s total trade surplus was US$84.75 billion in September compared to US$79.39 billion in August.

Headline export growth slowed from 7.1 per cent year on year to 5.7 per cent in US dollar terms. But we estimate that export values rose 1 per cent in month on month terms

Julian Evans-Pritchard

The trade data was expected to be released on October 14 before the opening of the 20th party congress, but was delayed without an official explanation.