China posts record $1.189tn trade surplus in 2025 despite US tariffs

China reported a record $1.189tn full-year trade surplus for 2025, customs data showed, while its producers prepare for three more years of a Trump administration set on shifting US orders to other markets. Outbound shipments grew 6.6% year-on-year in December after a 5.9% rise in November, beating a Reuters economists' forecast of 3.0%, while imports were up 5.7% after a 1.9% bump and exceeded a 0.9% forecast.

The yuan held steady and the Shanghai Composite and CSI300 indexes rose more than 1% in morning trade. China recorded monthly export surpluses above $100bn seven times in 2025, up from once in 2024, a pattern the report said was partially underpinned by a weakened yuan. Wang Jun, a vice-minister at China’s customs administration, said at a press briefing that 'the momentum for global trade growth looks to be insufficient, and the external environment for China’s foreign trade development remains severe and complex.' He added that 'with more diversified trading partners, [China's] ability to withstand risks has been significantly enhanced' and that 'the fundamentals for China’s foreign trade remain solid'.

Economists polled by the report expect China to continue gaining global market share as firms set up overseas production hubs and demand holds for lower-grade chips and other electronics. China's car exports rose 19.4% to 5.79m vehicles last year, with pure EV shipments up 48.8%.

Key Topics

World, China, Trump Administration, Trade Surplus, Chinese Yuan, Electric Vehicles