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China’s exports and imports grew far less than expected in September

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A shipping container and gantry cranes at the Yangshan Deepwater Port in Shanghai, China, on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024.

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BEIJING — China’s exports grew by 2.4% in September from a year ago in U.S. dollar terms, while imports rose by 0.3%, customs data showed Monday.

Both figures were well below expectations. China’s exports were forecast to have risen by 6% year-on-year in September in U.S. dollar terms, according to a Reuters poll. That would be slower than the 8.7% increase in August.

Imports were expected to have climbed by 0.9% in September from a year ago, according to the Reuters poll. That would be slightly faster than the 0.5% increase in August.

Exports had been a bright spot in China’s economy, which has been weighed down by lackluster consumer spending and a real estate slump.

China’s exports to the U.S., its largest trading partner, rose by 2.2% in September from a year ago, while imports from the U.S. climbed by 6.7%, according to CNBC’s analysis of official data.

China focusing more on boosting consumer demand would be a 'good sign': strategist

Exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China’s largest trading partner on a regional basis, rose by 5.5%, while imports rose by 4.2%. China’s exports to the European Union rose by 1.3%, while imports dropped by 4%.

China’s exports to Russia surged by 16.6%, but imports fell by 8.4%, the analysis showed.

Inflation data out Sunday pointed to further weakness in China’s domestic demand.

The core consumer price index, which strips out more volatile food and energy prices, rose by 0.1% in September from a year ago. That’s the slowest since February 2021, according to the Wind Information database. Tourism-related prices fell by 2.1% year-on-year, despite the Mid-Autumn Festival in September and Golden Week holiday that kicked off Oct. 1.

China’s National Bureau of Statistics is scheduled to release third-quarter GDP on Friday, along with retail sales, industrial production and fixed asset investment for September.

Chinese authorities have ramped up stimulus announcements since late last month, while so far falling short on the fiscal policy details many investors have hoped for. Stocks in China have swung wildly as beaten-down markets debate the ultimate impact of Beijing’s economic support.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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Morgan Stanley picks China stocks to ride out a worst-case scenario in U.S. tensions

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Elon Musk endorses Trump’s transition co-chair Howard Lutnick for Treasury secretary

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Elon Musk at the tenth Breakthrough Prize ceremony held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on April 13, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

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On Saturday, Elon Musk shared who he is endorsing for Treasury secretary on X, a cabinet position President-elect Donald Trump has yet to announce his preference to fill.

Musk wrote that Howard Lutnick, Trump-Vance transition co-chair and CEO and chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC Group and Newmark Group chairman, will “actually enact change.”

Lutnick and Key Square Group founder and CEO Scott Bessent are reportedly top picks to run the Treasury Department.

Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, also included his thoughts on Bessent in his post on X.

“My view fwiw is that Bessent is a business-as-usual choice,” he wrote.

“Business-as-usual is driving America bankrupt so we need change one way or another,” he added.

Musk also stated it would be “interesting to hear more people weigh in on this for @realDonaldTrump to consider feedback.”

Howard Lutnick, chairman and chief executive officer of Cantor Fitzgerald LP, left, and Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., during a campaign event with former US President Donald Trump, not pictured, at Madison Square Garden in New York, US, on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024.

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In a statement to Politico, Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt made it clear that the president-elect has not made any decisions regarding the position of Treasury secretary.

“President-elect Trump is making decisions on who will serve in his second administration,” Leavitt said in a statement. “Those decisions will be announced when they are made.”

Both Lutnick and Bessent have close ties to Trump. Lutnick and Trump have known each other for decades, and the CEO has even hosted a fundraiser for the president-elect.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Lutnick has already been helping Trump review candidates for cabinet positions in his administration.

On the other hand, Bessent was a key economic advisor to the president-elect during his 2024 campaign. Bessent also received an endorsement from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, according to Semafor.

“He’s from South Carolina, I know him well, he’s highly qualified,” Graham said.

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Protecting your portfolio against risks tied to Trump’s tariff plan

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Biggest Risks After the Rally: Trade & Top Valuations

Money manager John Davi is positioning for challenges tied to President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff agenda.

Davi said he worries the new administration’s policies could be “very inflationary,” so he thinks it is important to choose investments carefully.

“Small-cap industrials make more sense than large-cap industrials,” the Astoria Portfolio Advisors CEO told CNBC’s “ETF Edge” this week.

Davi, who is also the firm’s chief investment officer, expects the red sweep will help push a pro-growth, pro-domestic policy agenda forward that will benefit small caps.

It appears Wall Street agrees so far. Since the presidential election, the Russell 2000 index, which tracks small-cap stocks, is up around 4% as of Friday’s close.

Davi, whose firm has $1.9 billion in assets under management, also likes staying domestic despite the tariff risks.

“We’re overweight the U.S. I think that’s the right playbook in the next few years until the midterms,” added Davi. “We have two years of where he [Trump] can control a lot of the narrative.”

But Davi plans to stay away from fixed income due to challenges tied to the growing budget deficit.

“Be careful if you own bonds for sure,” said Davi.

Since the election, the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield is up 3% as of Friday’s close.

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