Monthly exports drop first time in 7 years

Exports and foreign direct investment (FDI) both fell in November because of shrinking demand overseas, sending fresh signs of economic weakness and prompting calls for more measures to bolster the economy.

Exports dropped 2.2 percent to $114.99 billion last month, the first monthly decline in seven years, Customs authorities said yesterday. And FDI fell 36.52 percent year-on-year to $5.3 billion, the Ministry of Commerce said.

But the country's trade surplus soared to a record $40.09 billion in November despite a fall in exports because imports fell, too, by 17.9 percent year-on-year after having risen 15.6 percent in October.