CHINA's exports in the January-February period increased just 2.3 per cent year on year by value, while imports unexpectedly contracted 8.4 per cent, customs data showed, reports Reuters.

A poll of economists had forecast a five per cent expansion in exports and a one per cent increase in imports. Those compared with exports growth of 10.7 per cent and imports growth of one per cent in December 2024.

China's outbound shipments lost momentum after nine consecutive months of expansion, as tit-for-tat tariffs escalated into a renewed trade war with the US.

The sluggish trade figures threaten to hamper China's economic recovery just days after the government announced a growth target of roughly five per cent for 2025.