HONG KONG (AP) – China’s exports rebounded in April and its politically sensitive monthly trade surplus with the United States grew for the first time in five months at a time of escalating friction between Beijing and Washington over the imbalance.
Data released Tuesday show exports jumped 21.5 percent from the same month the year before, bouncing back from a contraction the previous month thanks to resurgent global demand.
Imports expanded 12.9 percent year-on-year in dollar terms, leaving the country’s global trade surplus for the month at $28.8 billion, a turnaround from a $5 billion deficit the month before.
China’s trade surplus with the U.S. swelled to $22.2 billion, up from $15.4 in March and the first increase since November, as exports to the U.S. grew at a double digit pace.
U.S. officials traveled to Beijing last week for talks on resolving the dispute between the world’s two biggest economies. Those meetings appear to have made little progress, but further discussions are scheduled to resume next week.