China Charts New Trade Strategy for 2026 Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
China has unveiled plans to sustain its record-breaking foreign trade performance in 2026, even as commercial tensions with the United States continue to intensify following fresh tariff hikes under President Donald Trump.
Official data released on Wednesday showed that China’s total foreign trade hit an all-time high of 45.47 trillion yuan ($6.41 trillion) in 2025, representing a 3.8 per cent year-on-year increase and cementing the country’s status as the world’s largest trading nation.
The growth was achieved despite a sharp decline in exports to the United States, which fell by about 20 per cent. The shortfall was offset by robust, double-digit expansion in trade with Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, reflecting Beijing’s accelerated pivot toward emerging markets.
Exports rose by 6.1 per cent in 2025, largely driven by a surge in green energy products. Shipments of electric vehicles, lithium batteries and solar panels jumped by 27 per cent, underscoring China’s growing dominance in the global clean energy supply chain.
Imports, however, grew by just 0.5 per cent, a slowdown Chinese officials blamed on geopolitical constraints. Speaking at a press briefing in Beijing, Vice Customs Minister Wang Jun said global trade had been increasingly “politicised,” adding that restrictions on high-tech exports to China had limited its ability to import more goods from Western economies.
China recorded a trillion-dollar trade surplus during the year, a figure that has raised concerns among some of its trading partners. Nevertheless, authorities expressed confidence in the outlook for 2026.
Wang said the fundamentals of China’s foreign trade remained strong and pledged that the country would further open its domestic market in the coming year. He noted that Beijing would continue to deepen economic cooperation with Belt and Road Initiative partners, which now account for more than half of China’s total foreign trade, as it seeks to cushion the impact of sustained U.S. pressure.
