U.S. retail and food service sales fell 0.6 percent in November (pdf), twice the expected decline and the biggest monthly drop this year. As the largest importer of Chinese goods, lower consumption in the United States directly affects China’s exports.
China’s cumulative export growth in the first 11 months this year is about 30 percent of the same period last year.
The U.S. Department of Commerce said on Dec. 15 that U.S. retail and food service sales weakened in November, falling 0.6 percent. Among them, the retail trade volume in November fell by 0.8 percent compared to October.
In the first 11 months of this year, Chinese exports to the United States totaled $536 billion, exceeding $518.4 billion to the European Union (EU) and $515 billion to ASEAN countries, according to Chinese customs….