May 10 (Bloomberg) --China posted a $1.68 billion trade surplus in April, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported today.
China is the world’s biggest exporter of goods and today’s trade figures could influence the timing of any decision by the government to abandon the yuan’s peg to the dollar, in place for 21 months. The debt crisis in Europe may encourage officials to delay any policy shift, according to Barclays Capital.
The central bank has kept the currency at about 6.83 per dollar since July 2008, aiding exporters and fueling tension with U.S. lawmakers, who say the nation has an unfair advantage in trade.
