11 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 9
Customs data showed a $84.8 billion April trade surplus as higher oil and gas costs, driven by the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz closure, lifted imports slightly faster than exports.
Exports to the United States rose 11.3% from a year earlier, while imports from the US increased 9%, widening China's bilateral surplus by 13%.
The figures keep China on course for a third straight annual trade surplus near $1 trillion ahead of a Trump-Xi summit where Trump is expected to press for more US purchases.
Is China’s record export growth a sign of strength or a symptom of a struggling domestic market?
With a US-China summit looming, how will this trade surge affect talks already strained by the Iran war?
Is China's voracious appetite for AI chips creating a new and critical economic dependency?