China exports fall as demand slows and lockdowns hit manufacturing

China’s exports significantly missed expectations in August, with the country’s trade surplus shrinking as overseas demand flattened and a new wave of Covid-19 restrictions at home disrupted production and logistics.

Exports rose 7.1 per cent last month compared with the same period a year earlier, well below consensus expectations of a 13 per cent increase and down from 18 per cent growth in July, official customs data showed on…