HK shares in biggest loss in 5 weeks

HONG KONG, Mar 10 (Reuters): Hong Kong shares suffered their biggest one-day loss in five weeks on Monday, after a slew of tepid China economic data over the weekend reignited fears of a bigger slowdown in the world's second-largest economy.

The Hang Seng Index finished down 1.8 per cent at 22,264.9 points, while the China Enterprises Index of the leading offshore Chinese listings in Hong Kong also sank 1.8 per cent. This was their biggest one-day loss since February 4.

China's consumer prices rose 2 per cent in February from a year earlier, their slowest rate in 13 months as pork prices fell by their most in over a year, a sign that slowing growth rather than rising prices poses a risk.

Exports in February fell 18.1 per cent from a year earlier, following a 10.6 per cent rise in January, the General Administration of Customs said on Saturday. Imports rose 10.1 per cent, yielding a trade deficit of $23 billion for the month versus a surplus of $32 billion in January.