China's exports expected to keep stable growth

China's exports are expected to maintain stable growth during the second half of the year as trade activity continues to vitalize, providing stronger support to overall economic expansion, according to trade experts and economists on Wednesday.

Their comments came as the General Administration of Customs said on Wednesday that China's exports surged by 13.2 percent year-on-year to hit 11.14 trillion yuan ($1.66 trillion) in the first half of the year－picking up from an 11.4 percent increase in the first five months.

Imports rose 4.8 percent year-on-year to a value of 8.66 trillion yuan, also quickening from a 4.7 percent increase in the January-May period.

That lifts the trade value for the first half of the year to 19.8 trillion yuan, up 9.4 percent year-on-year, or 1.1 percentage points higher than the rate in the first five months.

"The data have demonstrated a strong upward momentum in trade recovery," said Zhang Yansheng, chief researcher at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

"It seems that export growth will likely achieve the forecast many analysts made at the start of the year, to register a yearly surge of around 10 percent this year despite multiple challenges," he added.

The nation will also likely retain a considerable trade surplus in 2022, although geopolitical conflicts, the expected pullback from economic stimulus in developed economies, and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic will add uncertainties to global demand, he said.

According to Customs data, imports and exports combined rose 14.3 percent year-on-year in June, registering a strong pickup from the 9.5 percent increase in May, and much stronger than the 0.1 percent growth in April.

Moreover, China's trade with major trading partners maintained steady growth during the first half of the year.

Its trade value with the United States increased by 11.7 percent year-on-year during that period, while that with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations increased by 10.6 percent and with the European Union by 7.5 percent.