China June Exports Rise 11.3% From a Year Earlier; Expected +9.0%

China's exports grew for a fourth straight month in June, as external demand for goods from the world's second-largest economy continued to strengthen.

Exports rose 11.3% in June from a year earlier, following growth of 8.7% in May, the General Administration of Customs said Thursday.

Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast a rise of 9%.

Imports in June rose 17.2% from a year earlier, compared with a 14.8% expansion in May. The rise was larger than the poll's forecast for a 12.4% gain.

The trade surplus widened in June to $42.77 billion from $40.81 billion a month earlier, falling short of a median forecast for a $44.2 billion surplus.

China's trade data is closely watched as a barometer of strength in global trade, though exports have become a less-important growth driver for the Chinese economy in recent years.

In yuan terms, China's exports grew 17.3% on year in June, while imports jumped 23.1%. The trade surplus widened to 294.3 billion yuan ($43.4 billion) in June from 281.56 billion yuan in May.

Write to Grace Zhu at grace.zhu@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 13, 2017 00:06 ET (04:06 GMT)