China's exports, valued in dollars, increased by 7.6% compared to the same month last year, according to statistics from the Chinese customs authority.
Economists had expected a 5.7% boost, Bloomberg writes.
Meanwhile, imports rose by 1.8%, which was significantly less than the expected 4.3%.
Weaker demand from Chinese households has led more producers to rely on export markets.
China's trade surplus came in at $82.6 billion in May.