China Said to Investigate Surge in Precious Metals Exports

China sent investigators to the southern province of Guangdong to probe a sevenfold surge in precious-metals exports as the government intensifies scrutiny of irregularities in the country’s trade figures.

The team includes staff from the Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs, according to people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because the information hasn’t been made public. Shipments of precious metals, including jewelry, rose to about $10.8 billion in September from $1.39 billion a year earlier, according to customs data released Oct. 13. Gold prices in Shanghai today dropped the most since December.