{"id":283819,"date":"2026-01-14T12:12:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T12:12:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/283819\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T12:12:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T12:12:08","slug":"chinas-trade-ends-2025-with-record-1-2-trillion-surplus-despite-trump-tariff-jolt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/283819\/","title":{"rendered":"China&#8217;s trade ends 2025 with record $1.2 trillion surplus despite Trump tariff jolt"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul data-testid=\"Summary\" class=\"summary-module__summary__QjADA\">\n<li data-testid=\"Body\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__small__sph8i body-module__base__o--Cl body-module__small_body__gOmDf summary-module__point__UgXPz\">China posts record $1.189 trillion trade surplus in 2025<\/li>\n<li data-testid=\"Body\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__small__sph8i body-module__base__o--Cl body-module__small_body__gOmDf summary-module__point__UgXPz\">China&#8217;s December dollar exports up 6.6% Y\/Y, imports up 5.7%; beat forecasts<\/li>\n<li data-testid=\"Body\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__small__sph8i body-module__base__o--Cl body-module__small_body__gOmDf summary-module__point__UgXPz\">Strong exports come despite Trump&#8217;s tariffs as China scales up new markets<\/li>\n<li data-testid=\"Body\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__small__sph8i body-module__base__o--Cl body-module__small_body__gOmDf summary-module__point__UgXPz\">China&#8217;s ability to weather risks has been &#8216;significantly enhanced&#8217;, says official<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>BEIJING, Jan 14 (Reuters) &#8211; China on Wednesday reported a record trade surplus of nearly $1.2 trillion in 2025, led by booming exports to non-U.S. markets as producers \u200blooked to build global scale to fend off sustained pressure from the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>A push by policymakers for Chinese firms to diversify beyond the world&#8217;s top consumer market by shifting \u200cfocus to Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America paid dividends, cushioning the economy against U.S. <a data-testid=\"Link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/tariffs\/\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">tariffs<\/a> and intensifying trade, technology and geopolitical frictions since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"promo-box\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__small__sph8i body-module__base__o--Cl body-module__small_body__gOmDf article-body-module__promo-box__hVl8h\"> Sign up  <a data-testid=\"Link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/chinas-trade-ends-2025-with-record-trillion-dollar-surplus-despite-trump-tariffs-2026-01-14\/undefined?location=article-paragraph&amp;redirectUrl=%2Fworld%2Fchina%2Fchinas-trade-ends-2025-with-record-trillion-dollar-surplus-despite-trump-tariffs-2026-01-14%2F\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;China&#8217;s economy remains extraordinarily competitive,&#8221; said Fred Neumann, chief Asia economist at HSBC. &#8220;While this reflects gains in productivity and the rising technological sophistication of Chinese manufacturers, it is also due to weak domestic demand and attendant excess capacity.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Heading into 2026, the challenges for Beijing are aplenty, including deflecting concerns from an increasing number of global capitals about China&#8217;s trade practices and overcapacity, as well as their overreliance on key Chinese products.<\/p>\n<p>One of the key questions facing policymakers is for how long the $19 trillion economy \u200ccan continue to counteract a property slump and sluggish domestic demand by shipping ever cheaper goods to other markets.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Rising Chinese trade surpluses could raise tensions with \u200btrade partners, especially those reliant on manufacturing exports themselves,&#8221; Neumann said.<\/p>\n<p>The chart shows China&#8217;s trade balance with the world.The manufacturing juggernaut&#8217;s full-year trade surplus came in at $1.189 trillion &#8211; a figure on par with the GDP of a top-20 economy globally like Saudi Arabia &#8211; customs data showed on Wednesday, having <a data-testid=\"Link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/chinas-november-exports-top-expectations-imports-underperform-2025-12-08\/\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">broken<\/a> the trillion-dollar ceiling for the first time in November.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;With more diversified trading partners, (China&#8217;s) ability to withstand risks has been significantly enhanced,&#8221; Wang Jun, a vice minister at China&#8217;s customs administration, said \u200dat a press briefing following the data release.<\/p>\n<p>Outbound shipments from the world&#8217;s second-biggest economy grew 6.6% in value terms year-on-year in December, compared with a 5.9% increase in November. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 3.0% increase.<\/p>\n<p>Imports were up 5.7%, after a 1.9% bump the month earlier and also beat a forecast for a 0.9% uptick.<\/p>\n<p>A line chart with the title &#8216;China\u2018s trade with the world&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Strong export growth helps to mitigate the weak domestic demand,&#8221; said Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Combined with the booming stock market and stable U.S.-China \u2060relations, the government is likely to keep the macro policy stance unchanged at least in Q1.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A container handler unloads a container from a truck at a terminal of the Yantian port in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China October 30, 2025. REUTERS\/Tingshu Wang\/File Photo <a data-testid=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersconnect.com\/item\/yantian-port-in-shenzhen-guangdong\/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjU6bmV3c21sX1JDMjBNSEFOVEtZQg%3D%3D\/?utm_medium=rcom-article-media&amp;utm_campaign=rcom-rcp-lead\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76 collapsible-caption-module__license__CPQvV\">Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab<\/a>EXPORTS UP AS CHINA SET TO GAIN MORE GLOBAL SHAREChina&#8217;s yuan , held steady following the upbeat data even as equity \u200dinvestors welcomed the forecast-beating numbers. The benchmark Shanghai Composite index <a data-testid=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/markets\/quote\/.SSEC\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76\">(.SSEC), opens new tab<\/a> and blue-chip CSI300 index <a data-testid=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/markets\/quote\/.CSI300\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76\">(.CSI300), opens new tab<\/a> both rose more than 1% in morning deals.The Asian powerhouse economy&#8217;s monthly trade surpluses exceeded $100 billion seven times last year, partially underpinned by a <a data-testid=\"Link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/markets\/currencies\/chinas-yuan-hits-2023-lows-signs-pboc-is-tolerant-some-weakness-2025-04-08\/\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">weakened yuan<\/a>, up \u200cfrom just \u200conce in 2024, underscoring that Trump&#8217;s actions have barely dented China&#8217;s broader trade with the wider world even if he has curbed U.S.-bound shipments.<\/p>\n<p>Exports to the U.S. slumped 20% in dollar terms in 2025, while imports from the world&#8217;s top economy were down 14.6%. Chinese factories managed to make inroads in other markets, with exports to Africa jumping 25.8% and those to the ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations up 13.4%. EU-bound shipments grew 8.4%.<\/p>\n<p>The line charts shows 12-months rolling sum of China&#8217;s exports to the U.S. and imports from the U.S.China&#8217;s <a data-testid=\"Link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/chinas-2025-rare-earth-exports-hit-highest-since-least-2014-despite-restrictions-2026-01-14\/\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">rare-earth exports<\/a> in 2025 surged to their highest level since at least 2014, even as Beijing began curbing shipments of several medium to heavy elements from April &#8211; a move analysts saw as an effort to showcase \u2060its leverage over Washington while negotiators wrangled over soybean \u2060purchases, a potential Boeing aircraft deal and the \u200bfate of TikTok&#8217;s U.S. operations.The world&#8217;s top agricultural importer purchased a record volume of <a data-testid=\"Link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/chinas-2025-soybean-imports-hit-record-fuelled-by-s-american-purchases-2026-01-14\/\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">soybeans<\/a> in 2025, buoyed by a sharp increase in shipments from South America, with Chinese buyers holding off from U.S. crops for much of the year as trade tensions lingered.TRUMP FACTOR STILL LOOMS LARGE<\/p>\n<p>Economists expect China to continue gaining global market share this year, helped by Chinese firms setting up overseas production hubs that provide lower-tariff access to the United States and the European Union, as well \u200das by strong demand for lower-grade chips and other electronics.<\/p>\n<p>Beijing, however, has shown signs of recognising it must moderate its industrial largesse if it is to sustain its success, and address the image problem outsized exports are causing.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, it scrapped subsidy-like export tax rebates for its solar industry, a long-standing point of friction with EU states.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump challenge to China is not going away in a hurry either, analysts note, even as the U.S. Supreme Court could rule against the president&#8217;s tariff hikes later \u200bon Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, Trump <a data-testid=\"Link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trump-says-he-thinks-china-can-open-its-markets-us-goods-2026-01-14\/\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">said<\/a> he thinks China can open its markets to American goods, after threatening a day earlier to slap \u200da 25% tariff on countries that trade with Iran, <a data-testid=\"Link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/trumps-iran-tariff-threat-risks-reopening-china-rift-2026-01-13\/\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">risking reopening old wounds<\/a> with Beijing, Tehran&#8217;s biggest trading partner.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Trump&#8217;s threat to impose a 25% tariff on countries doing business with Iran underscores the potential for renewed trade tensions between the U.S. and China,&#8221; said Zichun \u200bHuang, China economist at Capital Economics.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"SignOff\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__extra_small__8Buss body-module__full_width__kCIGb body-module__extra_small_body__Bfz20 sign-off-module__text__LQAMP\">Reporting by Joe Cash and Xiuhao Chen; Additional reporting by Winni Zhou in Shanghai<br \/>\nEditing by Shri Navaratnam<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"Body\" dir=\"ltr\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__small__sph8i body-module__base__o--Cl body-module__small_body__gOmDf article-body-module__element__5eCce article-body-module__trust-badge__5mS3f\">Our Standards: <a data-testid=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thomsonreuters.com\/en\/about-us\/trust-principles.html\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__medium__2Rl30 text-module__small__sph8i link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76\">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersagency.com\/en\/licensereuterscontent\/?utm_medium=rcom-article-media&amp;utm_campaign=rcom-rcp-lead\" target=\"_blank\" dir=\"ltr\" class=\"button-module__link__A3sD0 button-module__secondary__70gBu button-module__round__QDFgq button-module__w_auto__Sem-F\" data-testid=\"LicenceContentButton\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Purchase Licensing Rights<\/a><a data-testid=\"AuthorBioImageLink\" class=\"author-bio-module__author-image__jcaG3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/authors\/joe-cash\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" tabindex=\"-1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"Body\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__extra_small__8Buss body-module__base__o--Cl body-module__extra_small_body__Bfz20 author-bio-module__description__9ynkB\">Joe Cash reports on China\u2019s economic affairs, covering domestic fiscal and monetary policy, key economic indicators, trade relations, and China\u2019s growing engagement with developing countries. Before joining Reuters, he worked on UK and EU trade policy across the Asia-Pacific region. Joe studied Chinese at the University of Oxford and is a Mandarin speaker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"China posts record $1.189 trillion trade surplus in 2025 China&#8217;s December dollar exports up 6.6% Y\/Y, imports up&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":283820,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[174],"tags":[82519,2786,82703,79,82500,53515,82538,82545,82546,83395,82535,82556,82549,82541,84149,82550,82776,82553,83396,82536,84041,83397,83391,82530,83393,84146,82531,82779,82777,82547,82539,82557,82537,82540,82554,82552,82710,85720,83394,82548,82551,85719,82702,83115,83116,179,84148,18,82578,4893,45748,59750,19,84143,82765,17,50178,83122,82565,82524,82507,82780,85212,82508,1540,82579,84457,83362,84334,82533,88553,82707,83387,107,83127],"class_list":{"0":"post-283819","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-economy","8":"tag-amers","9":"tag-asia","10":"tag-asxpac","11":"tag-business","12":"tag-cmpny","13":"tag-cn","14":"tag-destabx","15":"tag-destafa","16":"tag-destbnx","17":"tag-destc","18":"tag-destcsa","19":"tag-destd","20":"tag-destdnp","21":"tag-deste","22":"tag-destef-markets-macromatters","23":"tag-destfun","24":"tag-destg","25":"tag-destgns","26":"tag-destgro","27":"tag-destlby","28":"tag-destm","29":"tag-destmtl","30":"tag-desto","31":"tag-destocabsm","32":"tag-destoil","33":"tag-destortao","34":"tag-destousbsm","35":"tag-destoustpm","36":"tag-destpge","37":"tag-destpsc","38":"tag-destrast","39":"tag-destrbn","40":"tag-destreulb","41":"tag-destrnp","42":"tag-destrws","43":"tag-destrwsa","44":"tag-destseabs","45":"tag-destseatp","46":"tag-destsof","47":"tag-destu","48":"tag-destucdptest","49":"tag-destz","50":"tag-easia","51":"tag-eci","52":"tag-eco","53":"tag-economy","54":"tag-efmarkets-macromatters","55":"tag-eire","56":"tag-emrg","57":"tag-eu","58":"tag-gen","59":"tag-hk","60":"tag-ie","61":"tag-ilei","62":"tag-intag","63":"tag-ireland","64":"tag-latam","65":"tag-mce","66":"tag-mtpix","67":"tag-namer","68":"tag-news1","69":"tag-packageus-top-news","70":"tag-plcy","71":"tag-pol","72":"tag-potus","73":"tag-samer","74":"tag-stx","75":"tag-topicbusiness-tariffs","76":"tag-topicworld-china-slug","77":"tag-topnws","78":"tag-tracc","79":"tag-trd","80":"tag-trf","81":"tag-us","82":"tag-wash"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283819"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283819\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/283820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}