The offshore yuan held its gains around 6.78 per dollar on Tuesday, as stronger-than-expected trade data highlighted the resilience of China’s export sector despite signs of an economic slowdown. Exports surged 19.4% year-on-year to a record USD 376.8 billion in May, driven by inventory building aimed at mitigating rising shipping and energy costs linked to the Gulf conflict, alongside robust demand for semiconductors and AI-related products. While the Middle East conflict has yet to significantly affect exports, weak domestic demand continues to leave the economy vulnerable to a deterioration in global conditions, reinforcing expectations for further policy easing. Meanwhile, imports jumped 27.4% to USD 271.4 billion, beating forecasts of a 25% increase as firms stepped up purchases of foreign chips and equipment. Consequently, China’s trade surplus widened to USD 105.4 billion, its highest level since January.
