A cargo ship carries foreign trade containers on the Jiaozhou Bay waterway in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, on August 5, 2025.
Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
China’s export climbed at the fastest pace in six months in September, while imports logged their strongest gain in more than a year, even as a trade deal with the U.S. remains elusive.
Exports grew 8.3% in September in U.S. dollar terms from a year earlier, China’s customs data showed Monday, beating Reuters-polled economists’ estimates for a 7.1% rise and rebounding from August’s six-month low.
Imports jumped 7.4% last month from a year ago, sharply beating Reuters’ estimates for a 1.5% growth, marking the strongest level since April 2024, according to LSEG data.
Tensions between Beijing and Washington have flared again in recent days as both sides traded barbs and ramped up respective restrictions, threatening to erode progress made after several rounds of bilateral trade talks this year.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened an additional 100% levy on Chinese exports and tighter export controls on critical software. Beijing, meanwhile, expanded restrictions on rare earth exports — though some don’t take effect until November — and broadened its “unreliable entities” blacklist to include chip consulting firm TechInsights. Authorities have also opened a fresh antitrust probe into U.S. semiconductor manufacturing giant Qualcomm.
Both sides have threatened to impose charges on each other’s ships for docking at their own ports, set to take effect the same day on Oct. 14. Chinese levies will start at 400 yuan ($56) per ton, matching that imposed by Washington.
The U.S. makes up just 0.1% of global shipbuilding, compared with 53.3% for China, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The reluctance of China, the world’s largest importer of soybeans, to resume purchases of America’s crops further dimmed hopes for a trade accord.
Trump said earlier this month that he hoped to pressure the Chinese president during their planned meeting later this month to end the months-long moratorium on U.S. soybean purchases.
China’s commerce ministry said earlier Sunday that the U.S. should back off its tariff threats and urged further talks to resolve outstanding trade issues.
“Threatening with high tariffs at every turn is not the right way to get along with China,” the Commerce Ministry said. “If the US persists in its own course, China will resolutely take corresponding measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”
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