BEIJING: China’s exports beat forecasts in July, as manufacturers made the most of a fragile tariff truce between Beijing and Washington to ship goods, especially to Southeast Asia, ahead of tougher US duties targeting transhipment.
Global traders and investors are waiting to see whether the world’s two largest economies can agree on a durable trade deal by Aug. 12 or if global supply chains will again be upended by the return of import levies exceeding 100 percent.
US President Donald Trump is pursuing further tariffs, including a 40 percent duty on goods rerouted to the US via transit hubs that took effect on Thursday, as well as a 100 percent levy on chips and pharmaceutical products, and an additional 25 percent tax on goods from countries that buy Russian oil.
China’s exports rose 7.2 percent year-on-year in July, customs data showed on Thursday, beating a forecast 5.4 percent increase in a Reuters poll and accelerating from June’s 5.8 percent growth.
Imports grew 4.1 percent, defying economists’ expectations for a 1.0 percent fall and climbing from a 1.1 percent rise in June.
