China's December exports rise 9.7 percent, imports shrink; full-year trade grows 3.4 percent

BEIJING – China's exports rebounded in December but imports shrank in a sign of weak domestic demand. Full-year trade in 2014 grew 3.4 percent, well below the official 10 percent target.

Customs data on Tuesday showed exports rose 9.7 percent, recovering from November's unexpectedly low 4.7 percent. Imports declined by 2.4 percent, an improvement over the previous month's 6.7 percent contraction but still a sign of weak demand.

For the full year, exports rose 6.1 percent compared with 2013 while imports rose just 0.4 percent, reflecting weakening demand as economic growth tumbled to a five-year low.