China's exports in June increase 7.2%

China's exports in June increased 7.2% year on year to 186.8 billion US dollars, as the country's foreign trade continued its warming trend, customs data showed on Thursday.
Imports went up 5.5% to 155.2 billion US dollars and total foreign trade volume increased 6.4% to 342 billion US dollars, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said.
Trade balance realized a surplus of 31.6 billion US dollars in June, (Xinhua) reported citing the GAC.
The combined foreign trade volume in the first half of this year saw a year-on-year growth of 1.2% to 2.02 trillion US dollars, the data showed.
Exports increased 0.9% and imports went up 1.5% during the period, while the trade surplus stood at 102.86 billion US dollars.
GAC spokesman Zheng Yuesheng attributed the improving export and import figures to rising demand due to global economic recovery and pro-trade measures from the Chinese central government, which together gradually reversed the weak performance in the first quarter.
Weighed down by shrinking external demand, China's total foreign trade was disappointing in the January-March period, with exports down 3.4%, adding to concerns over the country's economic strength.
China's trade with major partners also gathered steam. During the first half, trade with the European Union saw the largest year-on-year growth of 9.6%, accounting for 14.4% of China's total foreign trade.
Its trade with the United States increased by 2.8% in the same period, followed by 2.6% with the ASEAN and 1.3% with Japan.
However, trade between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong dropped 24.1% from a year ago due to a high base figure in the corresponding period last year.
China set a trade growth target of 7.5% this year, lower than the 8% goal for 2013 and last year's actual expansion of 7.6%.