Official figures indicate that the value of Chinese imports was 13.3 percent greater last month than a year earlier, Reuters reports.
The news agency says analysts had forecast, on average, growth of 10 percent.
The report says the annual rate of growth was faster last month than the month before, supporting the view that imports are growing healthily in spite of tighter monetary policy.
Imports of commodities for industrial use propelled the growth as demand for high-quality iron ore responded to increases in steel prices due to a year-old construction boom, Reuters says.
It quotes an Oxford Economics analyst, Louis Kuijs, a saying in the light of the import figures: “Domestic demand may be more resilient than expected in the second half.”
