China’s exports rise unexpectedly

China's exports unexpectedly surged in March, with officials flagging rising demand for electric vehicles, but analysts cautioned the improvement partly reflects suppliers catching up with unfulfilled orders after last year's Covid-19 disruptions.

Exports in March shot up 14.8 per cent from a year ago, snapping five straight months of declines and stunning economists who predicted a 7.0 per cent fall in a Reuters poll.

But analysts say the jump was more likely related to exporters rushing to fulfil a backlog of orders that had been disrupted by the pandemic in past months, and warned the global demand outlook remained subdued.