China imports sink in August as shares rally

China’s imports tumbled in August, raising concerns about the health of the world’s second-largest economy and its contribution to global growth.

The data will add to the pressure on Beijing policy makers trying to ensure China’s economy avoids a hard landing, though authorities will take some comfort that their efforts to steady the country’s stock markets were rewarded with a late rally yesterday.

Imports dived 13.8% from a year earlier, far more than analysts had forecast, and a tenth consecutive monthly drop, reflecting both lower global commodity prices and sluggish demand.