China’s exports grew in May while imports slowed

China’s exports rose more than expected last May, but imports slowed, official figures showed on Friday, in further evidence of an uneven recovery in the world’s second-largest economy.

Foreign shipments recorded an increase of 7.6% on an annual basis in dollar terms, according to figures from the General Administration of Customs, compared to 1.5% in April, exceeding analysts’ expectations of 5.7%.

The latest figures represent the second consecutive month of growth, after a limited decline of 7.5% year-on-year in March.

But China’s trade prospects still face various headwinds, with Beijing’s exports and imports with the United States declining by 1.4% in May amid continuing geopolitical disputes between the two superpowers.