Chinese Economy: General News, Updates and Discussions

Mapped: Do Countries Trade More With the U.S. or China?

July 2, 2026
By Jeff Desjardins

countries-trade-more-china-or-usa.webp


Key Takeaways​

  • China is now the largest trading partner for 151 countries, or roughly 73% of the world.
  • Those countries account for $4.6 trillion in bilateral trade with China, versus $3.0 trillion for the 57 countries that trade more with the U.S.
  • The U.S. remains strongest across North America and parts of Europe, while China dominates across Asia, Africa, and much of South America.
China has overtaken the U.S. as the largest trading partner for most countries around the world, reflecting a dramatic shift in global commerce over the last two decades.

This map compares every country’s larger trading partner using 2025 bilateral trade data from the IMF’s Direction of Trade Statistics, showing where China’s trade footprint has expanded and where the U.S. still maintains stronger relationships.

Countries Trading More with China​

China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001 marked the beginning of a profound shift in global trade. Since then, rapid industrialization, export growth, and deeper supply-chain integration have helped China become the largest trading partner for most countries worldwide.

In 2000, there were only 33 countries that traded more with China than the United States. Today, that number has climbed to 151.

One of the map’s biggest surprises is China’s reach beyond Asia. It is now the larger trading partner for roughly half of European countries, as well as many of South America’s largest economies, including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

While almost all of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia trade more with China, Israel stands out as one exception.

North America remains a stronghold for U.S. trade, though these relationships face renewed uncertainty after the USMCA deal was not renewed in its current form.

Who Trades More in Dollar Terms?​

China’s broader trade footprint also translates into larger aggregate trade volumes.

Across the countries where it is the dominant partner, bilateral trade totaled roughly $4.6 trillion in 2025, compared with $3.0 trillion for the countries that traded more with the United States.

While the U.S. has fewer partner countries, its average trade relationship is substantially larger.

 
China has moved up the value chain thanks to a few select companies.

When I bought my mom a portable Xiaomi juice blender off Aliexpress. She complained it was underpowered and didn't work. She tried to grind avocado which is probably the softest flesh vegetable there is and it didn't even work. It was only when she added some water or milk to the mix that the portable blender about the size of a large cup with rechargeable lithium battery worked as advertised. It was only recently she made me a cup of strawberry and pineapple juice blend. OMG that was the best smoothie texture I ever had even smoother than full sized blenders costing many times more and with more grinding power!

It was like in Lord of the Rings. The elves and dwarfs made lightweight and compact stuff that are even tougher than regular armor.

It felt like I was living in the future (with futuristic appliances)!

But this goes only for a few select companies. AliExpress is also loaded with junk wares made by companies with no motive but to make a quick buck selling counterfeit and imitation products.

And then there are mega companies like Huawei which so far has provided me with no value...

I shudder to think what the future will be like when China is truly high value supply chain and products. There will be tens of companies like Xiaomi to improve ppl's daily lives!
 
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July 10, 2026

Why German issuers are turning to China’s panda bond market in 2026​

German multinationals are increasingly issuing panda bonds to access stable RMB funding, with Deutsche Bank acting as both issuer and leading underwriter

Deutsche Bank has continued to build momentum as an issuer in 2026, completing two panda bond transactions this year.


Panda bond issuance jumps 60% in H1 2026, as its rising popularity to boost yuan internationalization
 

China handles one-third of global seaborne trade in 2025

chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2026-07-13 18:10

China handled about one-third of the world's seaborne trade in 2025, while its Chinese-owned merchant fleet remained the world's largest at 490 million deadweight tons, the Ministry of Transport said.

The figures were released as China marked its 22nd Maritime Day on Saturday, which fell on July 11, under the theme "Digital Intelligence for a Smarter Maritime Future".

China's ports handled 18.3 billion metric tons of cargo and 354 million twenty-foot equivalent units of containers last year, underscoring the shipping sector's role in supporting trade and maintaining stable industrial and supply chains.

Digital and intelligent technologies are reshaping the industry. China has put 60 automated terminals into operation, with facilities at Shanghai and Qingdao ports recording peak single-crane handling rates of more than 60 containers per hour, among the highest in the world.

The country has also made progress in digital maritime infrastructure. Nearly 20,000 kilometers of electronic navigation charts have been released nationwide, while the Yangtze River system has largely established an integrated chart network linking trunk waterways with tributaries.

China has also expanded trials of intelligent vessels. Autonomous container ships, including Zhifei, have completed fully unmanned voyages.

More than 10,000 vessels have benefited from a nationwide ship inspection recognition system, allowing operators to apply for inspections and obtain certificates locally, saving more than 150 million yuan ($22.13 million) in costs.

To mark the day, the Ministry of Transport organized a series of events in Beijing and other parts of the country, including policy releases, technology showcases, maritime forums, skills competitions and public education programs.

Regional activities also highlighted advances in smart shipping, maritime rescue and digital services. Maritime museums and passenger shipping operators launched exhibitions and themed voyages to raise public awareness of maritime culture and ocean development

 

China’s trade surges in first half of 2026, maintaining growth amid global tensions
Exports rose by 27 per cent year on year and imports grew by 36 percent last month, both beating projections
Published: 10:35am, 14 Jul 2026Updated: 11:03am, 14 Jul 2026

China’s exports continued to grow robustly in June, extending the positive momentum seen in previous months and shrugging off geopolitical headwinds.

The country’s exports rose by 27 per cent year on year to US$412.39 billion last month, according to Chinese customs data released on Tuesday, beating the 18.5 per cent growth forecast by economists in a poll from financial data provider Wind.

Imports grew by 36 per cent last month to US$286.76 billion, higher than the Wind poll’s projections of 24.25 per cent growth, leading to a trade surplus of US$125.62 billion, up from US$105.43 billion in May.

In the first half of the year, exports jumped 17.6 per cent while imports rose 26.6 per cent.

“The fundamental reason for the growth in exports lies in the precise alignment between [products] made in China and diverse global demand,” said Wang Jun, vice-minister of the General Administration of Customs.

Rising global demand for artificial intelligence-related products, as well as the stability of Chinese supply chains amid the war in Iran, have boosted exports, Wang noted.

Shipments of semiconductors and batteries have seen strong growth, while a surge in commodity prices driven by the war has contributed to an increase in the value of imports.

China’s exports to the United States rose by 13.9 per cent year on year in June, set against a low baseline in the same month last year.
Exports to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations rose by 34.6 per cent year on year, while shipments to members of the European Union increased by 18.5 per cent.
 

China exports in June rise at fastest pace since 2021 as AI boom, tariff rush lift trade

Mon, Jul 13 202610:41 PM EDT

Key Points
  • Overall exports rose 27% from a year earlier in U.S. dollar value terms, the strongest since October 2021.
  • Imports grew 36% in June, the largest jump since June 2021.
  • China’s crude imports dropped 41% from a year ago to the lowest level in nearly a decade.
NANJING, CHINA - JULY 09: Aerial view of new energy vehicles waiting for shipment at Longtan Port Area of Nanjing Port on July 9, 2026 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province of China. (Photo by Yang Suping/VCG via Getty Images)

NANJING, CHINA - JULY 09: Aerial view of new energy vehicles waiting for shipment at Longtan Port Area of Nanjing Port on July 9, 2026 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province of China.
Yang Suping | Visual China Group | Getty Images

China’s trade growth accelerated far more than expected in June, as booming global demand for AI hardware and a rush by U.S. retailers to beat anticipated tariff hikes turbocharged shipments.

Overall exports rose 27% from a year earlier in U.S. dollar terms, the strongest since October 2021, customs data showed Tuesday, quickening from the 19.4% gain in May and sharply beat economists’ estimates for a 18.2% growth.


Imports grew 36% in June, the largest jump since June 2021, gaining pace from the 27.4% growth in May and sharply beating economists’ forecast for a 24% growth. The trade surplus stood at $125.6 billion in June.

China’s exports to the U.S. jumped around 14% last month while imports grew 26%, according to CNBC calculation of the official data. The outbound shipment to the Southeast Asian nations soared about 35% while imports rose 27%.

Shipment to the European Union rose 18.5% and imports from the bloc grew more than 9%.

Tianchen Xu, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, attributed the export strength to frontloading momentum in shipments both to the U.S. and ASEAN.

Factory activity accelerated in June as U.S.-bound orders recorded sharp year-on-year gains, a survey by China Beige Book showed last month, pushing up freight rates. Manufacturers are bracing for additional tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump’s Section 301 probes as the 10% broad-based duty is set to expire on July 24.

Beijing has grappled with a deepening supply-demand imbalance, as strong industrial output and exports tied to the global AI investment boom continue to power headline growth, even as consumption and private investment weakens amid a prolonged property downturn and volatile global oil prices.

Exports will likely remain strong in the second half of the year, said Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, potentially further increasing trade tensions between China and trading partners, particularly Europe. Brussels and Beijing set up a trade and investment consultation mechanism last month aimed at rebalancing bilateral trade, with European officials targeting October for “tangible results.”

The global AI investment boom has also helped to cushion the fallout from the Middle East conflict and a global oil shock. Chinese exports of integrated circuits in June more than doubled from the same period last year to $38 billion.

The country’s crude imports dropped 41% from a year earlier to 29.3 million tons, according to CNBC calculation, reportedly the lowest level in nearly a decade. In the first half-year, China’s total oil imports dropped 11% from a year ago in terms of volume.

China is expected to release its gross domestic product growth for the second quarter on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters expect growth to have slowed to 4.5% in the second quarter, after a solid 5% in the first quarter.

Industrial output and retail sales for June, also due Wednesday, are projected to expand 4.7% and shrink 0.1%, respectively. Urban investment is estimated to decline 4.9% in the first half-year, deepening from 4.1% in the first five months, according to a Reuters poll.

Investors are now looking to an expected Politburo meeting in late July for clues on stimulus that could shape policy for the rest of the year, although analysts expect no meaningful stimulus unless growth slows more sharply, given resilient exports and Beijing’s focus on curbing excess factory capacity to fight deflation.

 
China-US goods trade hits 2 trillion yuan in H1, Q2 grows 13.7 percent

By Global Times

Published: Jul 14, 2026 11:58 AM
A ro-ro vessel loads electric vehicles for export at a berth of Lianyungang Port's Dongfang Port Branch in Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province, on May 15, 2026. Photo: VCG

A ro-ro vessel loads electric vehicles for export at a berth of Lianyungang Port's Dongfang Port Branch in Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province, on May 15, 2026. Photo: VCG

China-US goods trade totaled 2 trillion yuan ($294.1 billion) in the first half of the year, accounting for 7.9 percent of China's total foreign trade, with the second quarter rebounding to a 13.7 percent growth after an 18.7 percent slump in the first quarter, a customs official said at a press conference on Tuesday in response to a question about the recent acceleration in Chinese exports to the US and the outlook for bilateral trade in the second half.

In May this year, the meeting between the heads of state of China and the US set a new orientation for bilateral relations, which has provided stable expectations and injected positive momentum into the economic and trade ties between the two countries, the official said.

Guided by the important common understandings reached by the two heads of state, the General Administration of Customs will, staying committed to safeguarding customs security and promoting development, work together with all relevant government departments to facilitate the stable development of China-US economic and trade relations, the official said.

 

China’s June Trade Balance: Surplus widens sharply amid strong exports


14 July 2026 11:07

China's Trade Balance for June, in Chinese Yuan (CNY) terms, arrived at CNY859.05 billion, widen from the previous figure of CNY723.98 billion.

Exports surge 20.8% year-over-year (YoY) in June from a 13.8% increase seen in May. The country’s imports surge 29.4% YoY in the same period vs. 21.5% recorded previously.
In US Dollar (USD) terms, China’s Trade Surplus rise more than expected in June.
Trade Balance arrived at +125.62B versus +121B expected and +105.43B prior.
Exports (YoY): 27% vs. 18.2% expected and 19.4% last.
Imports (YoY): 36% vs. 24% expected and 27.4% previous.

 
Nevertheless, In west and Indian media, Chinese economy is still collapsing every day.
 

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