(BSS/AFP) - Chinese exports surged almost a fifth last month, official data showed Tuesday, as the world`s second-largest economy weathered pressure from the Middle East war.

Overseas shipments from the manufacturing powerhouse jumped 19.4 percent from the same period last year, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said.

That figure beat the 15.0 percent forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists, and picked up pace from April`s 14.1 percent increase.

Imports soared 27.4 percent year-on-year in May, topping the 26.0 percent estimated in the Bloomberg survey.

Exports to the United States surged 35.4 percent on-year, as President Donald Trump visited Beijing with trade high on the agenda.

Shipments to the world`s biggest economy hit $39 billion, according to the GAC, up from $28.8 billion in the same month last year, when they plunged during Trump`s turbulent trade war.

The trade gains are a bright spot for the Chinese economy, which has struggled to shift drivers of growth away from manufacturing to domestic consumption.

But weaker demand and rising energy costs caused by the Middle East war have started to weigh on growth.

China`s factory activity was flat last month after two months of expansion, official data showed.

The country`s factories are facing higher costs with the prices of raw materials rising, particularly in the energy and chemical sectors, as shipping constraints remain a problem.