After a few months of perhaps deceptive calm, China’s trade surplus has come roaring back. New numbers released by the country’s customs agency on Tuesday showed the trade surplus in April spiked by 29.9 percent over the same month last year.

That follows a first quarter in which China tallied a rare trade deficit and the politically dicey problem quieted somewhat. But with exports far outpacing imports by China, talk is certain to again focus on tools like the currency and other measures to even the field. The news was unveiled as top Chinese officials met in Washington, DC, with their counterparts for the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.