China has posted a world-first trade surplus exceeding $1 trillion, with official customs data showing the nation amassed a $1.08 trillion surplus in the first 11 months of 2025 despite global economic turbulence.
The General Administration of Customs reported on Monday that exports rose 6.2% year-on-year to 24.46 trillion yuan ($3.46 trillion), while imports edged up just 0.2% to 16.75 trillion yuan ($2.37 trillion).
November alone delivered a $111.68 billion surplus, one of the highest monthly totals on record.
The surge has been fuelled largely by booming manufactured-goods exports—particularly vehicles—into markets across Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, intensifying competition for industrial rivals such as Germany, Japan, and South Korea.
China’s exports to the EU have more than doubled its imports from the bloc, cementing the EU as Beijing’s second-largest trading partner behind ASEAN.
Meanwhile, shipments to the US have fallen nearly 20% amid ongoing trade tensions, though Washington still ranks as China’s third-largest trading partner over the January–November period.
Image credit: T Y
