China’s Exports to US Plunge 27 Percent as Overall Shipments Growth Hits 6-Month High

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Oct 14, 2025 - 09:49 Updated: Oct 13, 2025 - 23:44
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China’s Exports to US Plunge 27 Percent as Overall Shipments Growth Hits 6-Month High

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China’s exports to the United States continued to slide in September, but the downturn was offset by strong growth in shipments to other markets, such as Africa and the European Union, according to official Chinese customs data.

China’s exports worldwide increased by 8.3 percent in September from the same period last year, outpacing August’s 4.4 percent year-over-year growth, according to figures published by China’s General Administration of Customs on Oct. 13. It represents the fastest growth since March.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected exports to grow by 6 percent in September.

“While this resilience underscores the ability of Chinese exporters to cope with US tariffs, the latest re-escalation in tensions with the US still poses some downside risks,” Huang Zichun, China economist at Capital Economics, said in a note on Oct. 13.
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Beijing last week imposed sweeping export restrictions on rare earths and related technologies, further tightening its grip on the minerals crucial to a wide range of high-tech products, from smartphones to fighter jets. The regime also blacklisted nearly a dozen defense companies operating in the United States, introduced new port fees on American ships, and opened an antitrust investigation into U.S. chip giant Qualcomm.
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In response, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose an additional 100 percent tariff on Chinese goods and export controls on critical software, beginning on Nov. 1.

Xu Tianchen, a senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit in Beijing, stated that although the implementation of 100 percent new U.S. tariffs would place additional pressure on China’s export sector, he anticipated the impact to be less severe than during previous rounds of tariffs.

“The United States now only accounts for less than 10% of China’s direct exports,” Xu said. “Chinese firms are actively tapping into new markets with the relative cost advantage of their goods, that’s for sure.”

Exports Surge in Global South Markets

Chinese shipments to the United States have recorded a double-digit decline for the sixth consecutive month, falling by 27 percent year over year in September, but the pace was slower than the 33 percent drop seen in August, according to The Epoch Times’ calculation based on the latest Chinese customs data.

In contrast, Chinese exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China’s biggest trading partner, grew by 15.6 percent year on year in September, though slower than August’s 22.5 percent gain.

Shipments to the European Union, China’s second-largest trading partner, jumped by 14.2 percent in September from a year earlier, accelerating from a 10.4 percent growth seen in August.

Africa is among the emerging markets witnessing sharp increases, with China’s exports surging by 56.4 percent year on year in September, significantly up from August’s 25 percent growth.

Record Trade Surplus

Beating economists’ forecasts, imports into China rose by 7.4 percent from a year earlier, significantly higher than August’s 1.1 percent increase.
“This growth represented a 17-month high, and came as a surprise given the recent signs of softness in domestic demand,” Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING, said in a note on Oct.13.

Despite the increase in imports, China’s exports still exceed its imports by nearly $90.5 billion. The resulting trade surplus is 11 percent higher than the $81.7 billion recorded last year.

In the first nine months of this year, the trade surplus stood at $875 billion, nearly a 27 percent increase from the same period last year, putting the country on track to hit a new record high for the entire year.

The trade surplus with the United States contracted to $208.6 billion in the first nine months—down 19 percent from the same period in 2024, according to Chinese customs data.

The veracity of China’s economic statistics has long been questioned, as the ruling Communist Party has a record of concealing and manipulating data deemed harmful to its image.

Reuters contributed to this report.
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