Catenaa, Monday, April 14, 2025- China overall trade surplus hit $ 103 billion in March, official data showed on Monday, as the results of the trade war between China and the US is yet to be seen.
According to China Customs, China’s trade surplus surged to $102.64 billion in March 2025, up from $58.65 billion in the same period a year earlier, exceeding market expectations of $77 billion.
Exports from China surged by 12.4% year-on-year to $313.9 billion in March 2025, reversing a decline of 3% in February.
The March figures were far above market expectation of 4.4% and accelerated sharply from a 2.3% rise in the January–February period. It marked the fastest increase in overseas sales since last October.
Also, China’s imports fell 4.3% year-on-year to $211.3 billion in March 2025, exceeding expectations of a 2.0% decline but easing from January-February’s 8.4% decline.
A frontloading of shipments ahead of the massive tariff hikes imposed by Trump against China this month also contributed to what was likely the last of the boom in trade with the US. China’s trade surplus with the US accounted for more than a quarter of its total in March.
China and the US have spent the past two weeks locked in an escalating trade war, with both sides piling on new tariffs and raising barriers to trade. Both are holding out for the other to make the first move: Trump has said he’s “waiting” for a call from Beijing, while Chinese officials have repeatedly said they’re open to negotiations but won’t be bullied into talking.
Last week, Beijing hiked tariffs on all US goods to 125%, mirroring a move by the White House that pushed duties on Chinese imports to the same level, on top of an existing fentanyl-related 20% tax.
China said it won’t match any further hikes, but reiterated its vow to “fight to the end” with other, unspecified countermeasures.
Chinese stocks climbed for a fifth session on Monday, partly as the US tariff exemption offered investors some respite. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index closed 2.1% higher, while the CSI 300 Index for onshore shares rose 0.2%.
