According to the report from Customs General Administration of China (CGAC), China's exports rose for the first time in five months in December and by more than expected, signalling a modest recovery in demand.

China's trade surplus narrowed to USD 46.79 billion in December 2019 from USD 56.80 billion in the same month a year earlier and less than market expectations of USD 48.0 billion. Exports rose 7.6 percent year-on-year, while imports grew at a faster 16.3 percent.

For full year of 2019, the trade surplus widened to USD 424.39 billion from USD 350.9 in a year earlier. For all of 2019, its total exports proved remarkably resilient to trade tensions, rising 0.5%, though that was well off a near 10% gain in 2018, reflecting weaker U.S. sales. Imports fell 2.8% last year as China's economic growth cooled to near 30-year lows, after rising 15.8% in 2018.