Â鶹´«Ã½ imports have fallen for the first time in more than two years as commodity prices softened, cushioning the impact from a global economic slowdown that is weighing on exports.
The value of imports decreased 2.3% from a year earlier in April, led by a decline in crude oil and liquid natural gas shipments, the Finance Ministry reported Thursday. The reading turned negative for the first time since January 2021, and was worse than analysts¡¯ forecast of a 0.6% decline.
Exports were up 2.6% from a year ago, driven by car shipments, and was largely in line with analyst expectations. Together they shrank the nation¡¯s ongoing trade deficit.
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