infrastructure projects to offset

More worrisome, imports hardly rose at all burberry men shoes, indicating that the domestic economy remains tepid and continues to suffer from a real-estate downturn. Imports rose a paltry 0.3% from a year earlier, down from 5.3% in March and well below expectations for a 10% rise. "China's domestic demand situation is really severe," said Citigroup economist Ding Shuang, adding he expects the economy to bottom out in the second quarter, before rebounding in the second half of the year on more government investment and fiscal stimulus. As a result of the weak import growth designerburberrystore, China's trade surplus swelled to $18.4 billion from $5.4 billion in March. Economists had expected a surplus of $10.4 billion. Imports of major commodities fell from March, reflecting weak property construction as Beijing has maintained its stiff controls on the real-estate sector. Copper imports fell to a seven-month low, while iron-ore imports fell to their lowest level since last July. "Beijing policy makers need to step up the easing burberry best sunglasses beige 2012 fashion cheap for sale measures to boost domestic demand and counterbalance the prolonged external weakness," HSBC economists said in a note. "This can be achieved by accelerating construction of public housing and ongoing key infrastructure projects to offset the private property investment slowdown."