China’s export trade reached a record $3.77 trillion in 2025 despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s year-long imposition of high tariffs on multiple countries. According to customs data released Wednesday, exports rose 5.5 percent from the previous year, while imports remained stable at $2.58 trillion, resulting in a trade surplus of $1.19 trillion. Although exports to the United States declined, Beijing expanded sales to markets in Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe.

The data showed that China’s exports grew 6.6 percent in December, surpassing economists’ forecasts of 3 percent, while imports increased 5.7 percent, also exceeding expectations. However, trade with Russia fell for the first time in five years, as demand for Chinese cars dropped and crude oil imports from Russia declined due to Western sanctions imposed after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

At a press briefing, China’s Vice Minister of Customs Administration Wang Jun said global trade growth remained insufficient and the current environment was not favorable for China’s foreign trade development.