China's March industrial output rises at faster pace in March

BEIJING, April 16 (Reuters) - China's industrial output in March rose 7.7% from a year earlier, quickening from 5.9% growth in the January-February period, official data showed on Wednesday, as the world's second-largest economy braced for the impact of hefty U.S. trade tariffs.

The data released by the National Bureau of Statistics beat a 5.8% expansion forecast in a Reuters poll of 35 economists.

Retail sales, a gauge of consumption, grew 5.9% in March, up from 4.0% growth in the first two months. Analysts polled had expected a 4.2% increase.

Fixed asset investment expanded by 4.2%, compared with a 4.1% growth forecast. It grew 4.1% in the first two months of the year.