China's exports and imports slowed

China's economy has been sparked, by figures showing exports and imports fell more than expected last month. Export has dropped by 1.8% in comparison with April last year, according to official data.

Economists had expected exports in April to fall by just 0.1%, after a surprise 11.5% rise in March.

China's exports to the United States slid by 9.3% in April, but those to the European Union increased by 3.2%.

Economic growth slowed to 6.7% in the first three months of this year. That was the weakest figure since the financial crisis, but activity picked up in March as government measures to kickstart growth, including six interest rate cuts since late 2014, seemed to help.

China’s economy slowed from July to September 2015

Beijing has said it will take steps to boost exports, including encouraging banks to increase lending and raise tax rebates for some companies.

China increased its share of world exports from 12.3% to 13.8% last year, meaning that its export sector remained competitive despite higher costs.