China's foreign trade increases significantly despite Iran uncertainty

Meanwhile, imports increased by 27.4 percent, as the Chinese customs administration announced on Tuesday. The trade surplus amounted to 105.4 billion US dollars. This was even higher than the already strong figures of the previous month. Foreign demand remains an important pillar of the Chinese economy.

Technology exports as an important pillar

Exports are supported, among other things, by exports of electronics and technology products, which are needed for the expansion of data centers, for example. Green technologies such as electric cars, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products are also among China's key export sectors. At the same time, companies abroad may have brought forward orders in order to protect themselves against potential disruptions in supply chains.

For Beijing, the development comes in a difficult economic situation. Domestic demand remains weak, the real estate crisis continues to weigh on the economy and parts of industry are suffering from overcapacity and price pressure. Strong foreign trade can cushion these problems, but is also contributing to tensions with trading partners who criticize China's export- and industry-driven growth model.