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.

China's exports beat forecasts in July, as manufacturers made the most of a fragile tariff truce between Beijing and Washington to ship goods ahead of a looming deadline later this month.

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.