Hong Kong: China's exports picked up pace in May, rising 19.4% from a year earlier, its customs agency said Tuesday, as technology-related shipments remained robust despite impacts from the Iran war.
The stronger than expected performance was an improvement from April's 14.1% year-on-year (Y-o-Y) increase. Imports in May jumped 27.4%, also at a faster pace compared with April's 25.3% Y-o-Y expansion.
Exports to the US in May surged more than 35% from the year before, after an 11% increase in April.
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China's shipments to the US had fallen sharply for most of the months since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year, as shipments to regions like Southeast Asia and Europe surged.
The strength in exports has been supported by shipments of autos and technology and artificial intelligence-related products such as semiconductors and computing equipment.
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Meanwhile, China's buying of oil from overseas slumped to the lowest in more than eight years last month. Crude imports fell to around 33 million tons in May, according to customs data, equating to 7.8 million barrels a day, the lowest since October 2017. The country imported an average of around 11.6 million barrels a day over 2025.
