China's March trade surplus at $140 mln: customs

Bloomberg reports Japan Posts Back-to-Back Current-Account Deficit in December. Japan posted back-to-back monthly current-account deficits for the first time since 1981, highlighting challenges for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s campaign to revive the economy.

China on Tuesday posted a trade surplus for March, reversing a massive deficit the previous month, but data showed exports were still weak owing to the economic woes in major overseas markets.The country recorded a trade surplus of $5.35 billion for the month, as outward shipments rose 8.9 percent to $165.66 billion, Chinese customs said.But it added that imports rose just 5.3 percent to $160.31 billion, indicating domestic consumption in the country of 1.3 billion people is flagging, amid concerns over a hard landing for the economy.

China on Tuesday posted a trade surplus for March, reversing a massive deficit from the previous month, but data showed exports were still weak owing to the economic woes in major overseas markets.The country recorded a trade surplus of $5.35 billion for the month, as outward shipments rose 8.9 percent to $165.66 billion, Chinese customs said.But it added that imports rose just 5.3 percent to $160.31 billion, indicating domestic consumption in the country of 1.3 billion people is flagging, amid concerns over a hard landing for the economy.

China has said it had returned to a trade deficit in February for the first time in nearly a year, in line with efforts to wean the world's number two economy off its reliance on exports.The trade deficit of $7.3 billion -- the country's first since March 2010 -- compared with a surplus of $6.45 billion in January, and a surplus of $7.61 billion in February last year, customs authorities said in a statement.Customs blamed a sharp slowdown in exports on the Lunar New Year holiday which this year was celebrated at the beginning of February.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China saw a mild trade deficit of $884 million in March

China's politically-sensitive trade surplus ballooned to $11.4 billion in April and exports hit a record monthly high, data showed Tuesday, as Washington pressured Beijing for a stronger currency.The trade surplus -- a constant thorn in the side of Sino-US relations -- dwarfed the $139 million surplus posted in March and a Dow Jones forecast for $1 billion in April.Exports rose 29.9 percent year-on-year to $155.7 billion -- a record high value for a single month -- while imports increased by 21.8 percent to $144.3 billion, customs authorities said in a statement.

China's politically-sensitive trade surplus ballooned to $11.4 billion in April and exports hit a record monthly high, data showed Tuesday, as Washington pressured Beijing for a stronger currency.The trade surplus -- a constant thorn in the side of Sino-US relations -- dwarfed the $139 million surplus posted in March and a Dow Jones forecast for $1 billion in April.Exports rose 29.9 percent year-on-year to $155.7 billion -- a record high value for a single month -- while imports increased by 21.8 percent to $144.3 billion, customs authorities said in a statement.