Imports stay high despite weak outlook

摘要

China's imports of key commodities, such as iron ore and copper, defied expectations for a monthly fall to stay high in July.However weak trade figures and a nine-month low in crude oil imports painted a plcture of a slowing economy.Analysts said an unexpected monthly rise of 6% in copper imports in July and a 0.8% fall in shipments of iron ore belied broader signs that China's economy was slowing swiftly, as it confronts lesser demand from its top trade partners, the European Union and the US."I would not link an increase in Chinese copper imports to domestic demand because I don't see demand improving from here, it's actually very soft," Judy Zhu, commodities analyst at Standard Chartered Bank in Shanghai said.