Overview
- Imports rose 1.9% for the month, missing economists’ expectations for roughly 3% and underscoring soft domestic demand.
- The trade surplus widened to $111.68 billion, exceeding forecasts and up from $90.07 billion in October.
- Official surveys showed manufacturing contracted for an eighth straight month, with new export orders still in decline.
- Shipments to the United States dropped nearly 29% from a year earlier, while sales to Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America increased.
- Economists link the export rebound to the one-year easing of tariffs and restrictions and caution that front‑loading effects may fade as policymakers weigh further support at this month’s Central Economic Work Conference.