China Balance of Trade

Last Release

Sep 30, 2025

Actual

90.45

Units In

USD HML

102.33

Frequency

Monthly

Next Release

Nov 07, 2025

Time to Release

23 Days 20 Hours

Highest	Lowest	Average	Date Range	Source
170.52 Feb 2025	-61.99 Feb 2020	18.19 USD HML	1981-2025	General Administration of Customs

Since 1995, China has been recording consistent trade surpluses which from 2004 to 2009 has increased 10 times. In 2019, China posted a trade surplus of USD 421.9 billion, the biggest since 2016, as exports increased 0.5 percent and imports fell 2.7 percent on weak domestic demand and trade tensions with the US. The biggest trade surpluses were recorded with the US, Hong Kong, the EU - in particular the Netherlands, the UK, Poland, Spain, Italy and Belgium - India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, the UAE, Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia. The largest deficits were recorded with Taiwan, Australia, South Korea, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Malaysia, Oman, Chile and Russia.

Latest Updates

China's trade surplus came in at USD 90.45 billion in September, below expectations of USD 98.96 billion but above the USD 81.69 billion recorded in the same month last year, as exports continued to outpace imports. Exports rose 8.3% yoy, beating forecasts for a 6% gain and accelerating from a 4.4% growth in August. This marked the fastest pace of export growth since March, as Chinese producers continued to diversify into new markets beyond the US. Imports grew by 7.4%, above expectations for a 1.5% rise and well above the 1.3% gain in August—marking the fastest import growth since April 2024, supported by stronger domestic demand ahead of the Golden Week holidays. China’s trade surplus with the US rose to USD 22.82 billion in September, up from USD 20.32 billion in August, even as both exports to and imports from the US fell by 27.0% and 16.1%, respectively. Year-to-date, China posted a total trade surplus of USD 875.1 billion, with exports rising 6.1% yoy, while imports fell by 1.1%.