The drop in U.S.-bound shipments was offset by a surge in Chinese goods to Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America.

China's exports in April surged 9.3 percent in yuan-denominated terms to 2.27 trillion yuan ($314.17 billion), beating expectations as the country's trade expanded at a solid pace despite hefty US tariffs on Chinese goods,

China has reported that its exports rose 8.1% in April from the year before, much higher than most economists had been expecting, in the tail end of a rush by companies and consumers to beat higher U.