China has reported its exports surged 7.2% in July from a year earlier while its imports grew at the fastest pace in a year, as businesses rushed to take advantage of a truce in President Donald Trump's trade war with Beijing.

Pause in trade hostilities and reduced levies to expire next week as Trump imposes latest sweeping global measures

China is shipping more goods to Southeast Asia and other regions that often re-export them to the United States. China still sells three times as much to the United States as it buys.