Trade surplus rise shows less demand

Latest figures indicate economy still has reduced appetite for major commodities

China's foreign trade surplus rose notably last month, indicating a continued reduced appetite in the economy for commodities such as coal, oil and iron ore.

The country's exports dropped by 2.8 percent year-on-year to 1.17 trillion yuan ($191 billion) in May. This was a slight improvement from April but still placed pressure on the economy, according to the General Administration of Customs on Monday.