BRICS
March 10, 2026
China’s export growth started in 2026 with notable strength. New trade figures show China’s exports accelerating sharply. This comes as a contrast to softer signals emerging from recent US export data.
Exports from China rose 21.8% year-on-year in the first two months of 2026, according to analysis from ING. This is a major jump from 5.5% growth recorded last year. This is the strongest pace seen since early 2022. Since the data covers January and February together, the surge is not a result of Lunar New Year shipping patterns that often distort early-year trade figures.
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Global Trade Momentum Shifts As China Pulls Ahead of the US
Looking closely at the numbers, the growth can be seen coming from the rising demand for China’s major export industries. Semiconductor exports surged 72.6%, auto shipments climbed 67.1%, and ship exports jumped 52.8%. This was during the first two months of the year. In addition, high-tech exports saw an overall increase of 26.9%. These points show how China is moving up the manufacturing value chain.
Geography tells another part of the story. While shipments to the US dropped 11%, other regions more than made up the difference. Exports to Africa rose 49.9% while trade with the European Union increased 278%. Shipments to ASEAN climbed 29.4%, with similar growth seen in exports to South Korea and Australia.
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That expansion has pushed China’s trade surplus higher as well. The surplus reached roughly $213.6 billion in the first two months of 2026. This is more than 26% from a year earlier, according to the report.
The US trade picture currently looks less upbeat. Data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis shows US export data slipped 1.7% in December 2025. This helps widen the country’s trade deficit toward the end of the year.
Trade tracking data compiled by Trading Economics places US exports at around $287 billion late last year. This shows slower momentum compared with the export surge coming out of China.
Taken together, China vs US exports show a shift that economists have been watching closely. Manufacturing-heavy economies like China are benefiting from strong demand for industrial goods. Meanwhile, the US trade balance continues to be shaped by consumer imports and service-driven growth. The overall global trade trends from the early months of 2026 show the current situation of China vs US exports.
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