China on Saturday reported a sharp slowdown in exports in May compared to the previous month while imports unexpectedly dropped, as the world's second largest economy grapples with slowing growth and sluggish overseas demand. Overseas shipments rose just one percent to $182.8 billion last month, far lower than 14.7 percent recorded in April, customs authorities said in a statement. It also missed a medium forecast of 5.6 percent expansion in a Dow Jones Newswires' poll of economists.

Britain's trade-in-goods deficit shrank by more than expected in April on the back of falling imports, boosting hopes over its slow economic recovery, official data showed on Friday. The deficit dipped to £8.2 billion ($12.8 billion, 9.6 billion euros) in April, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement. That compared with a deficit of £9.2 billion in March.

The government pledged Wednesday to take the lead in beefing up private-sector investment and rebuilding business operations with the aim of ending nearly two decades of deflationary recession in Japan, designating the coming five years as an "emergency structural reform period."

Washington, Jun 4 (EFE).- The U.S. trade deficit rose 8.5 percent in April to $40.3 billion, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. In March, according to revised figures, the trade deficit stood at $37.1 billion, compared to $38.82 billion calculated earlier. The April number is slightly better than what had been predicted by analysts who had forecast that the trade deficit would rise to $41.5 billion. The increase was due to the rise in imports, which grew by 2.4 percent to $227.7 billion, compared with exports, which grew just 1.2 percent to $187.4 billion.