BEIJING, Dec 7Reuters China39;s exports grew for the first time in six months in November, suggesting factories in the world39;s secondlargest economy are attracting buyers through discount pricing to get over a prolonged slump in demand.

Mixed manufacturing data for November has kept alive calls for further policy support to shore up growth but also raised questions about whether predominantly negative sentimentbased surveys have masked improvements in conditions.

Exports grew 0.5 from a year earlier in November, customs data showed on Thursday, compared with a 6.4 fall in October and beating the 1.1 drop expected in a Reuters poll. Imports fell 0.6, dashing forecasts for a 3.3 increase and swinging from a 3.0 jump last month.

The improvement in exports is broadly in line with market expectations… sequential growth in China39;s exports in the past few months has strengthened, said Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management. There are green shoots in other Asian countries39; export data as well in recent months.

The Baltic Dry Index, a bellwether gauge of global trade, climbed to a three year high in November, supported by improved demand for industrial commodities, particularly from China.

South Korean exports, another gauge of the health of global trade, rose for a second month in November, buoyed by chip exports, which snapped 15 months of declines.

Trade with China39;s major peers also painted a rosy picture, with exports to United States,…