China. Exports accelerate after truce in trade war

China's exports accelerated sharply in June as manufacturers took advantage of a 90-day truce in the trade war with Washington to bring forward shipments, a performance that far exceeded analysts' forecasts.

The world's largest exporter saw its overseas sales increase 5.8% year-on-year to $325.2 billion (around €278 billion) last month, China's General Administration of Customs said Monday.

The figure represents an acceleration compared to the 4.8% growth recorded in May and far exceeds the 3.6% forecast in a survey conducted by Wind, a Chinese financial data platform.

Imports also surprised positively, rising 1.1% in June, after a 3.4% drop the previous month. The same Wind survey pointed to a further contraction, estimated at 0.58%.

China's trade surplus amounted to $114.8 billion (more than €98 billion) in June.

Despite unprecedented trade tensions with the United States, China's foreign trade remained solid in the first half of the year. Exports increased 5.9% compared to the same period in 2024, totaling $1.8 trillion (approximately €1.5 trillion), while imports fell 3.9%, to over $1.2 trillion (over €1 trillion).