China’s record breaking trade: New history of 1200 billion US dollars in 2025, exports boom despite Trump tariffs

Hong Kong. China’s trade surplus has increased by 20 percent on an annual basis to reach a record level of about US $ 1200 billion in 2025. The main reason for this was the increase in the country’s exports in December. The government gave this information on Wednesday.

China’s global trade surplus grew 20 percent year-on-year, according to customs data. This includes exports of US $ 3770 billion and imports of US $ 2580 billion. The trade surplus in 2024 was US$992 billion. China’s exports grew 6.6 percent year-on-year in December, better than economists’ estimates and higher than the 5.9 percent annual growth recorded in November. In December, imports grew by 5.7 percent on an annual basis, whereas in November the growth rate was 1.9 percent.

Economists believe exports will continue to support China’s economy this year despite trade and geopolitical tensions. “We expect exports to remain an important driver of growth in 2026,” said Jacqueline Rong, chief China economist at BNP Paribas.