China’s exports surged by 10.7% in December, reaching a record high of $3.4 trillion, as traders rushed to ship goods before US President Donald Trump returns to the White House with threats to impose tariffs on Chinese products.
The surge took the annual increase to 7.1%, driven by concerns over escalating trade protectionism and stockpiling of Chinese-made products in anticipation of potential price hikes. The Lunar New Year holiday, which falls in January, also played a role in the sudden increase.
Chinese officials hailed the numbers as a win, with high-tech products making up an increasing proportion of exports. Electric vehicles, 3D printers, and industrial robots saw significant growth, indicating China’s shift away from exporting cheap goods.
However, renewed trade tensions with the US could stall the positive momentum. Analysts warn that Trump tariffs “beyond expectations” could impact China’s economic growth target of 5% in 2025.
Beijing has signaled its readiness to counter US trade actions, but analysts say Chinese companies will try to skirt heightened tariffs by using developing countries as intermediaries for shipments to the US.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/01/13/china-exports-trump-tariffs