China’s February Exports Rise 48.9%

A strengthening U.S. recovery is helping underpin China’s outlook as Asia’s biggest economy seeks to cut excess capacity and transition to reliance on domestic consumption rather than debt-fueled infrastructure spending.

China’s exports surged more than 48 percent in February from a year earlier, exceeding the median analyst forecast for a 14 percent jump, led by sales to the U.S. and Europe. While that number was skewed by distortions from the timing of the Lunar New Year holiday, the combined figure with January still showed overseas sales rose 15 percent. The government is targeting a 6 percent gain in trade for 2015.