Shanghai | China's iron ore imports surged 35.3 per cent in June as the world's second-largest economy showed further signs of defying the economic fallout from the pandemic while maintaining strong demand for Australian commodities despite rising political tensions.

China Customs on Tuesday announced a surprise increase in imports for last month, and said exports also rose despite the massive disruption to the global economy wrought by COVID-19. By Tuesday, the pandemic had claimed a global total of at least 573,000 lives and infected more than 13 million.