Symbolic imageChina's exports jump 36% on AI demand, widening trade surplus
China's exports rose 36.3% in September from a year earlier, well above forecasts. The nine-month trade surplus has reached $938 billion.
Customs data released on Wednesday, 14 October showed imports up 31% as well, while analysts had expected export growth of about 25%. Customs vice minister Wang Jun said the AI boom lifted demand for circuits, storage media and power storage and transmission products. The September surplus was about $133 billion, and the nine-month figure points toward the record $1.2 trillion of 2025.
Lopsided trade with Europe
Exports to Germany rose 31.4% while imports from there grew 0.1%; for the EU the figures were 25.3% and 0.7%. The EU accuses China of distorting competition with subsidised overcapacity. Beijing's commerce ministry rejects this, citing economies of scale, innovation and foreign demand.
Car exports up, home sales down
According to the CPCA, 1.63 million vehicles were sold in China in September, down 28.1%, while manufacturers exported 923,000, up 73.2%.
Li promises more imports
Premier Li Qiang said at the Canton Fair that China is ready to import more high-value goods to promote more balanced trade.
Other opinions
A Handelsblatt commentary calls China's economy probably undervalued, while Global Times stresses trade growth at a five-year high.