China's politically-sensitive trade surplus ballooned to $11.4 billion in April and exports hit a record monthly high, data showed today, as Washington pressured Beijing for a stronger currency.
The trade surplus - a constant thorn in the side of Sino-US relations - dwarfed the $139m surplus posted in March and forecasts of $1 billion in April.
Exports rose 29.9% year-on-year to $155.7 billion - a record high value for a single month - while imports increased by 21.8% to $144.3 billion, customs authorities said in a statement.
The data also showed China swung to a surplus of $10.3 billion for the first four months of the year compared with a deficit of $1.02 billion in the January to March period - its first quarterly deficit in seven years.
Analysts said the surplus was due in large part to weaker imports after a recent correction in global commodity prices and a slowdown in the Chinese economy.
China's tight control of the yuan and its massive trade surplus with the US are at the forefront of talks between US and Chinese officials meeting in Washington for the annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue.
The US has led a chorus of international calls for a stronger unit, claiming China's currency control gives its exporters an unfair trade advantage by making their products artificially cheap.
The currency has strengthened 5% against the dollar since last June when Beijing pledged greater flexibility - but the gains have not satisfied critics who claim the yuan is undervalued by as much as 40%.
