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Faster than expected: China’s exports last month grew at a faster pace than expected, as factories rushed to fill orders to beat higher tariffs that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose once he takes office. Exports rose 10.7% from a year earlier, according to official customs data released Monday, above economists’ forecasts that predicted exports would grow 7%. Imports rose 1% year-on-year. Analysts had expected them to shrink about 1.5%. With exports outpacing imports, China’s trade surplus grew to $104.84 billion in December, and nearly $1 trillion for the year, at $992.2 billion. Read more from The Associated Press.
It takes a village: The Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is joining forces with the Louisiana Supreme Court and the governor’s Office to tackle the growing issue of truancy and chronic absenteeism in the state’s K-12 schools. During last week’s meeting, BESE voted to organize a statewide summit that will bring together educators, judges, social workers, faith-based leaders, and other community stakeholders to address the root causes of student absenteeism. Read more from The Center Square.
Holiday shopping: Big-name retailers posted largely better-than-expected early holiday results on Monday, but their shares fell as Wall Street came away unimpressed. Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle raised their fourth-quarter outlooks on Monday after seeing a strong response from shoppers during the all-important holiday season. Urban Outfitters also saw strong holiday growth, but Macy’s said its key quarter was going worse than it had anticipated. Read more from CNBC.
