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

Beijing is flooding the European Union, Africa, and some “global south” markets with cheap products, customs data show.

Published: 10/13/2025, 3:11:58 PM EDT

China’s Exports to US Plunge 27 Percent as Overall Shipments Growth Hits 6-Month High — A cargo ship sails into the port in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, on Oct. 13, 2025. (AFP via Getty Images)

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 in 2024, 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.

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 U.S. ships, and opened an antitrust investigation into U.S. chip giant Qualcomm.

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, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit in Beijing, said that although the implementation of new 100 percent U.S. tariffs will place additional pressure on China’s export sector, he anticipates the impact to be less severe than that of previous rounds of tariffs.

“The United States now only accounts for less than 10 [percent] 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, China’s biggest trading partner, grew by 15.6 percent year on year in September, although this was 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 in 2024.

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. This was down by 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 Chinese Communist Party has a record of concealing and manipulating data deemed harmful to its image.

Reuters contributed to this report.

From The Epoch Times