China’s exports surged by 14.1 per cent in April compared to the same month last year, despite higher tariff impositions and global economic uncertainty due to ongoing Iran-US war, officials said on Saturday.
The data was released ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next week in Beijing. Imports rose by 25.3 per cent in April, slower than the 27.8 per cent growth recorded in March but still remained robust.
The upcoming meeting comes at a time when tensions between the world’s two largest economies remain high due to trade frictions and recent geopolitical developments.
“We’re expecting overall external demand to remain a solid driver of growth this year,” said Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at Dutch bank ING, adding that exports of semiconductors and autos are likely to lead growth.
In March, Chinese leaders set an economic growth target of 4.5 to 5 per cent for 2026, slightly lower than last year’s 5 per cent expansion, which was the lowest since 1991.
Export growth is expected to continue powering the wider economy, especially as shipments increased from China to Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa over the past few months.
The two sides are expected to discuss the ongoing war in Iran, rare earth supply, minerals, trade, and export controls during the meeting. This will be the first meeting between the heads of the two ideologically opposed and biggest economies in the world.
Experts hope that the two leaders might sign some export-related agreements, though the possibility remains fairly low due to the ongoing tariff war. “On balance, China looks to have more leverage,” wrote Leah Fahy, senior China economist at Capital Economics, in a note.
“But higher tariffs haven't stopped China's exports from continuing to surge over the past year, and Beijing has shown that it is prepared to wait out US pressure.”
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