By SCM Finance Writer in Beijing
BEIJING has delivered a staggering $1.2 TRILLION (£920bn) “up yours” to the West after posting a record-breaking trade surplus.
Despite Donald Trump’s attempts to strangle the Chinese economy with a wall of eye-watering tariffs, the Red Dragon has roared louder than ever.
New figures released today show that China’s exports grew by a massive 6.1% over the last year, proving that the world is still well and truly “Made in China.”
While the US tried to shut the door, Beijing simply found new windows. Chinese firms have successfully bypassed American trade barriers by flooding markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America with everything from electric cars to high-tech chips.
Experts say the move has left Washington’s “trade war” looking like a damp squib.
”China has played a blinder,” one trade analyst told The SCM.
“They didn’t just sit back and take the hits. They went out and found billions of new customers in the southern hemisphere, and it’s paid off in spades.”
The eye-watering $1,200,000,000,000 surplus is the highest ever recorded in human history.
It comes as Chinese manufacturers slashed prices to keep their factories humming, effectively “dumping” cheap goods onto the global market to stay ahead of the game.
But while the Chinese government is cheering, the news has sparked “Red Alert” warnings in other countries who fear their own local industries will be crushed by the unstoppable tide of cheap Chinese imports.
The Trump Return: Following Donald Trump’s return to the White House in early 2025, he immediately hiked tariffs on Chinese goods to as high as 60% in some sectors, aiming to bring manufacturing back to the US.
The Great Pivot: Instead of collapsing, Chinese state-backed companies redirected their supply chains.
Exports to Africa surged by 26%, while trade with Southeast Asian (ASEAN) nations jumped by 13%.
Economic Imbalance: While China is selling record amounts abroad, its economy at home is struggling.
With a property market in the doldrums and Chinese shoppers refusing to spend, the country has become “addicted” to exporting its way out of trouble.
The 2024 Comparison: In 2024, the surplus stood at $992 billion. Crossing the $1 trillion mark for the first time in late 2025 marks a massive escalation in global trade tensions.
