China starts year with booming trade, despite drop in US exports

BEIJING: China’s trade surged by a fifth in the first two months of the year, official data showed on Tuesday, significantly outpacing forecasts as a plunge in shipments to the United States was offset by sales to other major markets. The boost is a lifeline for the world’s second-largest economy as domestic consumer activity has slumped, and adds to the record surplus achieved last year. Official figures for the first two months of the year — usually combined to account for distortions arising from the varying Lunar New Year holiday — showed a strong start to 2026, before war broke…