Chinese exports jumped 36% year-on-year in September, a bumper figure that is likely to vex the country’s trade partners, who have demanded Beijing address imbalances and alleged domestic overproduction. Faced with US and EU restrictions, which have dented Chinese imports in the West, Chinese companies have turned to other markets, sparking criticism from producers in Southeast Asia and Africa, who say their industries risk being hollowed out.
The latest figures pushed China’s trade surplus in 2026 to almost $1 trillion, nearing the entire figure for last year, underlining the country’s continued reliance on exports, with domestic consumption weighed down by a long-running real estate crash and rising youth unemployment. Beijing has so far resisted calls for a significant stimulus package.
