China Trade Data Due On Friday

(RTTNews) - China will on Friday release April figures for imports, exports and trade balance, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

Imports are expected to sink 6.0 percent on year after falling 4.3 percent in March. Exports are called higher by an annual 2.5 percent, moderating from 12.4 percent in the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at $94.30 billion, easing from $102.64 billion a month earlier.

Japan will provide March numbers for household spending and its leading and coincident indexes. Spending is expected to slip 0.5 percent on month and rise 0.2 percent on year after climbing 3.5 percent on month and easing 0.5 percent on year in February. The leading index was down 0.3 percent on month in February and the coincident rose 0.9 percent.

South Korea will see March data for its current account; in February, the current account surplus was $7.18 billion.

Malaysia will release March numbers for unemployment; in February, the jobless rate was 3.1 percent.