China August exports rise 4.4pc y/y, missing forecasts, imports up 1.3pc

China's export growth slowed more than expected in August, expanding 4.4 percent from a year earlier, while imports rose 1.3 percent, customs data showed.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected outbound shipments to expand by 5.0 percent, down from a 7.2 percent increase in July. Imports were forecast to grow 3.0 percent, against a 4.1 percent increase in the previous month.

US President Donald Trump's erratic trade policy - marked by multiple rounds of tit-for-tat tariff hikes with Beijing and other forms of trade restrictions - has heaped pressure on China's export-oriented economy, while domestic demand has been tepid, posing a serious test to policymakers.

REUTERS