China's exports surge 19.4% in May for second straight month of strong growth

China's exports posted strong growth for the second consecutive month in May, defying concerns over the impact of the Middle East conflict on global trade.

China's total exports reached $376.78 billion (about 572 trillion won) in May, up 19.4 percent from a year earlier, the General Administration of Customs said Tuesday. Growth had slowed to 2.5 percent year-on-year in March, shortly after the Middle East war broke out, but rebounded sharply to 14.1 percent in April before accelerating further last month.

Imports also climbed, rising 27.4 percent year-on-year to $271.35 billion (about 412 trillion won) in May. Both figures exceeded analyst forecasts by a wide margin. Reuters had projected export growth of 15.0 percent and import growth of 25.0 percent, while Bloomberg had forecast export growth of 25.0 percent and import growth of 26.0 percent.

China's trade surplus for May came to $105.43 billion (about 160 trillion won). The cumulative trade surplus from January through May totaled $451.7 billion (about 685 trillion won).

China has long grappled with a property market slump and weak domestic demand, yet its export sector continues to expand at a rapid pace. Exports to the United States totaled $39 billion in May, up 35.4 percent from $28.8 billion in the same month last year. The year-earlier comparison reflects a period when relations between Washington and Beijing had deteriorated sharply after President Donald Trump announced plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on Chinese goods. This year, ongoing efforts to improve US-China ties have given an additional boost to Chinese exports to the American market.