Chinese imports from the U.S. rose for the first time since the new coronavirus emerged earlier this year. China's appetite for meat and other agricultural goods helped Chinese imports of U.S. goods to jump by 11.3% in June from a year earlier, after a 13.5% drop in May, data from Beijing's General Administration of Customs showed.
The Chinese buying helped to narrow Washington's trade deficit with Beijing from a year earlier, though Chinese exports to the U.S. also improved, rising 1.4% in June from a year earlier after a 1.3% decline in May.
In the first six months of 2020, China imported 2.12 million metric tons of pork, 1 million metric tons of beef and 45 million metric tons of soybeans from its trading partners, which represented increases of 140%, 42.9% and 17.9%, respectively, from the same period a year earlier. Its overseas purchases of iron ore, crude oil, coal and natural gas also increased by volume in the first six months as commodity prices tumbled.
Beijing's overall trade surplus fell to $46.42 billion last month, much smaller than May's $62.93 billion figure and economists' expectations for a $59.30 billion surplus.
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