Don't pay too much attention to China's recent trade data

Reuters/China Daily Investors are skeptical of Chinese economic data. However, news Tuesday that Chinese exports fell by a quarter in February shocked investors. Many worry about the implications not just for China, but for world growth. It comes as the IMF is signaling it will likely cut its 3.4% global growth forecast next month. There are three separate forces that impacted Chinese trade figures. First are price changes. The dramatic drop in commodity prices, for example, distorts the value ...