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London - Europe's main stock markets traded mixed on Monday as investors responded to economic data from China and the United States.
On the corporate front, US-based Chiquita Brands and Ireland's Fyffes Plc said they were merging in a deal that would create the world's biggest banana supplier with annual revenue of $4.6bn (€6.4bn).
In European afternoon trade, London's FTSE 100 dipped 0.11% to stand at 6 705.06 points and Frankfurt's DAX 30 shed 0.37% to 9 316.10 points.
However, in Paris the CAC 40 climbed 0.44% compared with Friday's closing values to 4 385.66.
Madrid gained 0.46% and Milan added 0.41%.
Stocks had risen Friday on strong US jobs data but the optimism proved short-lived after Russian energy giant Gazprom's threat to cut off gas to Ukraine, traders said.
"It is a rather mixed performance today... as concerns over China's growth are taking precedence," said Varengold Bank trader Anita Paluch.
Asian markets tumbled on Monday following a surprisingly poor batch of economic data out of China, while revised Japanese figures showed 2013 growth was slower than expected.
The losses came after healthy gains on most bourses last week and despite jobs growth in the United States, while investors were keeping an eye on events in Ukraine as leaders try to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
Beijing said Saturday it had recorded an unexpected trade deficit of $22.98bn in February.
The figure compared with a surplus of $14.8bn in the same month last year, and a median forecast of an $11.9bn surplus. Exports fell 18.1% and imports jumped 10.1%.
"A poor Chinese trade balance reading has put the miners on the back foot once again, with the sector giving back most of February's surge, as traders take advantage of weaker consumption expectations in the east Asian behemoth," said Chris Beauchamp, market analyst at traders IG.
In foreign exchange, the euro edged up to $1.3878 from $1.3874 late in New York on Friday.
The dollar rose to 103.33 yen from 103.24 yen on Friday.
On the London Bullion Market, the price of gold dipped to $1 334.93 an ounce from $1 335.25 on Friday.
US stocks Monday opened lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.22% to 16 416.69 points after five minutes into trade.
The broad-based S&P 500 dipped 0.19% to 1 874.55, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index slipped 0.08% to 4 332.83.
Wall Street had last week posted gains last week following a somewhat better set of economic data that helped offset tensions over Ukraine.
The gains were not the year's most robust for a single week, but markets still finished in the black despite the occasional hick-up over Ukraine, where Russian forces have effectively taken control of Crimea, alarming the West.
Highlights in economic news included Friday's eagerly awaited US jobs report, which showed the economy added 175 000 jobs in February, a big improvement after the December and January reports disappointed.
Investors were cheered also by a better-than-expected rise in the Institute for Supply Management's index of manufacturing activity, while the US Federal Reserve's beige book noted that the outlook in most of the country "remained optimistic" even as cold weather depressed economic activity.
