China’s trade surplus for the full year 2025 was a record $1.189 trillion USD (often rounded to nearly $1.2 trillion in reports), according to data released on January 14, 2026, by China’s General Administration of Customs.
This marked a significant increase of about 20% from 2024’s surplus of around $992–993 billion. Key details include:
• Exports rose 5.5% year-on-year to approximately $3.77 trillion.
• Imports remained relatively flat at about $2.58 trillion.
• The surplus widened despite U.S. tariffs under the Trump administration, as Chinese exporters shifted focus to markets like the EU, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America (with exports to the U.S. declining sharply, e.g., by 20% overall).
