China's December Exports +10.9% on Year; Expected +9.5%

China's exports grew at a slightly slower pace than expected in December, extending gains to a 10th straight month on the back of still robust global demand for Chinese goods.

Imports to the world's biggest commodity buyer, however, slowed significantly, ending 11 straight months of double-digit gains.

Exports increased 10.9% in December from a year earlier, following growth of 12.3% in November, the General Administration of Customs said Friday.

Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast the value of shipments overseas to grow 9.5%.

Imports in December expanded 4.5% from a year earlier, compared with a 17.7% gain in November. The rise was much smaller than the poll's forecast for a 15.0% gain.

China's trade surplus widened in December to $54.69 billion from $40.21 billion the previous month, exceeding a median forecast for a $38.5 billion surplus.

Write to Liyan Qi at liyan.qi@wsj.com and Lin Zhu at lin.zhu@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 11, 2018 22:36 ET (03:36 GMT)