China’s trade with ASEAN rose from $878 billion in 2021 to $1.055 trillion in 2025, reinforcing the region’s importance for China as its largest trading partner. Trade with other Global South regions also rose, with Latin America and Africa each experiencing more subtle but stable growth.
By contrast, China’s trade with the United States fell precipitously, particularly following the Trump Administration’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, while trade with the European Union remained broadly flat.
The shift underscores China’s deepening economic pivot toward regional and Global South markets.
