China posts record trade surplus

China posted a record trade surplus in December and in 2021. That’s according to official data released Friday (January 14). A surplus of $676.4 billion last year was the highest since records began in 1950. In December the positive trade balance rose to $94 billion – another record-breaking total and well above analyst forecasts. Around a third of that surplus is with the U.S. alone, potentially stoking tensions between the two nations. Overseas shipments rose by a touch over a fifth year-on-year last month, which was slightly down from November’s gain. That as a surge in demand for goods eased…