China’s exports recorded a larger-than-expected acceleration in June, as companies took advantage of a 90-day tariff truce with the United States to speed up their shipments.

The world’s top merchandise exporter saw its outbound shipments rise by 5.8 per cent year on year to reach US$325.2 billion last month, according to customs data released on Monday.

The figure follows a reported 4.8 per cent rise in May and eclipses the 3.6 per cent increase forecast in a market survey from Chinese financial data provider Wind.

The country’s imports, meanwhile, rose by 1.1 per cent year on year last month, marking a substantial uptick from the 3.4 per cent decline recorded in May. A poll, also by Wind, had predicted a 0.58 per cent drop in June.

That led China’s trade surplus to rise to nearly US$114.8 billion for the month.