Beijing: China's exports unexpectedly fell 6.4 percent year-on-year in April to USD 176.3 billion, official data showed Friday, adding to signs of weakness in the world`s second-largest economy.
The monthly decrease -- China`s third this year -- was accompanied by a 16.2 percent drop in imports to USD 142.2 billion, the sixth monthly fall in a row suggesting depression in domestic demand.
The export and import figures for April showed a trade surplus of USD 34.1 billion, China`s customs authority said on its website, compared with USD 18.5 billion a year ago.
The April export figure was well below the median forecast of a rise of 0.9 percent by a Bloomberg News poll of economists.
The figures followed a 15 percent year-on-year decrease in exports in March, and a 3 percent drop in January. February overseas shipments increased by 48 percent, mainly due to a seasonal distortion due to the Lunar New Year holiday.
China`s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 7.4 percent in 2014, the lowest rate in nearly 25 years.
