Chinese Exporters Get a Taste of the Misery to Come

(Bloomberg) --

An unexpected contraction in China’s exports during August is the clearest signal yet that the worst of the trade war damage is still to come.

Shipments of Chinese goods are expected to weaken further as the U.S. implements new tariffs and as global demand remains soft. Compounding the pain is an expectation that the front-loading of orders — buying toys now, for example, to avoid the imposition of levies in December — will only exacerbate the downturn when that effect wears off.

The warning signs are evident. Exports during August decreased 1% in dollar terms from a year earlier, while imports declined 5.6%, leaving a trade surplus of $34.8 billion. Economists had forecast that exports would grow 2.2%, while imports would shrink by 6.4%. Shipments to the U.S. fell 16% from a year earlier.

Bloomberg Economics’ Chang Shu described the data as a “taste of what’s to come.”

It’s possible that another dose of government-encouraged borrowing and spending will at least support the imports side of China’s trade ledger, but it’s hard to escape the sense that the slowdown has a way to go yet.

“We’re looking more like we’re heading towards the bear-case scenario,” where 6% growth in China this year slows to 5.4% next year under a 25% U.S. tariff on all Chinese imports, said Eva Yi, senior economist at CICC. “More and more people are seeing this trade tension become a longer-term overhang rather than a short-term shock.”

All this plays into U.S. President Donald Trump’s hand for the time being. As China’s economy hits headwinds, America’s keeps adding jobs at a solid, albeit weaker, pace. “Both the strength and breadth of hiring suggest that economic conditions are weakening in the second half,  but not to the point of rising recession risk” for the U.S., according to Carl Riccadonna and Yelena Shulyatyeva of Bloomberg Economics.

Charting the Trade War

France has the least open economy in the euro area and consumer staples such as food and pharmaceuticals make up a large share of the country’s exports, according to Bloomberg Economics. The economy is comparatively sheltered from the effects of the cyclical swings in external demand, and has so far proved resilient to the global slowdown. Still, an escalation of trade tensions with the U.S. — in agriculture, in particular — and a disorderly Brexit create large downside risks.

Today’s Must Reads

• Factory slump | For all the debate on whether the U.S. is headed for a recession, there’s plenty of evidence that corners of the economy are already in one.
• Turning on France | The U.S. is sticking with a review of France’s digital tax that could lead to tariffs on French goods, despite signs of a deal at the last G-7 summit.
• Rays of hope | Germany posted its biggest trade surplus in four months and the U.K. economy grew the most in six months, easing concerns about Europe’s two biggest economies.
• Island deal | Mauritius will sign a free-trade agreement with China, its second biggest supplier, providing duty-free access to the Asian market for 96% of previously tariffed goods.
• Africa backup | Central banks across Africa are working to link major cross-border payment systems as plans for the world’s largest free-trade zone gain momentum.

Economic Analysis

• Lower volume | The trade war may continue to hamper ports' valuations as uncertainty festers.
• Brexit defenses | Here’s a look at new ways for Britain to fight the next recession.
• Shipping blip | Tariff boost to container volumes and rates may be short-lived.

Coming Up

• Sept. 10: European Commission portfolio allocation including trade chief announced
• Sept. 12-15: India trade balance
• Sept. 18: Japan, Italy trade balance

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Brendan Murray at brmurray@bloomberg.net, Zoe Schneeweiss

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