Hershey Co reported a bigger-than-expected 5 percent drop in quarterly net sales, as continued weak demand in China and a strong dollar ate into the chocolate maker’s revenue from outside North America. Hershey’s sales in China suffered most of last year as slowing economic growth reduced spending on non-essential consumer items, including Hershey’s Kisses, a popular gift item. This, along with weak demand in North America, prompted the company to cut its full-year sales forecast five times last year and to launch a cost-cutting program. Hershey said that chocolate retail sales in China fell about 13 percent in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31. A strong dollar also contributed to a 26.8 percent drop in international sales for the quarter. Hershey’s net income rose to $213.4 million, or 98 cents per share, for the fourth quarter from $202.5 million, or 91 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, the company earned $1.08 per share. Net sales fell to $1.91 billion from $2.01 billion a year earlier, below the $1.98 billion estimated by analysts, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.