The 14.7 percent increase in exports was led by a 57.2 percent jump in shipments to Hong Kong.
Imports were stronger than expected rising 16.8% yoy after a 14.1% growth in March, giving some encouragement about China's appetite for global commodities.
In April, imports from the United States increased 20 percent year-on-year while exports decreased 0.1 percent. Exports to the European Union were down 6 percent and imports up 12 percent. Trade with Japan decreased; exports by 1.2 percent and imports 3.3 percent. Exports to ASEAN and Taiwan rose 37 percent and 49 percent, respectively.
For the first four months of the year, China had a trade surplus of $61 billion and total trade increased by 14 per cent year-on-year to $1.33 trillion in the same period.
China’s trade data have come under scrutiny because of the defference from the trends in neighbouring countries. There is evidence that exporting firms have over-invoiced their sales bills to evade capital controls and bring cash into China.