China reported a record $1.2 trillion trade surplus last year, an indication the world’s second-biggest economy is weathering US tariffs.
While shipments to the US have plummeted, exports to Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia surged in 2025, feeding anxiety that local industries may be decimated by cheap Chinese imports.
President Donald Trump has vowed to boost Chinese purchases of US products, and when asked if Chinese markets could open to US goods, said he thinks “it’s going to happen,” Reuters reported. Meanwhile, Canada’s prime minister will also look to boost Chinese purchases of Canadian goods — which tumbled by more than 10% last year — during his visit to Beijing this week.
