China’s Trade Surplus Tops $1 Trillion Despite Plunge in US-Bound Exports

An aerial view shows stacked containers at the Shanghai Port container terminal in Shanghai on December 8, 2025. STR/AFP

By Peter Catterall

China’s towering annual trade surplus surpassed $1 trillion for the first time last month, data showed Monday, as a sharp drop in shipments to the United States was offset by surging exports to other major markets.

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