China's trade with US sinks in November amid tariff war

China's trade with the United States sank again in November as negotiators worked on the first stage of a possible deal to end a tariff war. Customs data on Sunday showed exports to the United States fell 23 percent from a year earlier while imports of American goods were off 2.8 percent.

Exports to some other countries including France rose, helping to offset the loss. Total Chinese exports were off 2.5 percent from a year earlier despite weakening global demand while imports were up 0.2 percent.

President Donald Trump agreed to postpone a planned tariff increase in early October following trade talks but penalties already imposed on billions of dollars of goods stayed in place.