China’s trade volumes hit record in week before Trump-Xi summit
This could signal exporters rushing goods out of the country as uncertainty hovers over tariffs
Published Thu, Sep 24, 2026 · 10:27 AM
CHINESE ports had their busiest week in history ahead of the approaching summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, extending a boom in shipments abroad in a possible sign exporters were rushing goods out of the country as uncertainty hovered over tariffs.
A record 7.3 million containers passed through Chinese terminals in the seven days through Sunday (Sep 20), an increase of 9 per cent from a year ago, according to data released by the Ministry of Transport.
The upswing adds to evidence of another month of rapid gains in exports and imports, with trade volumes in the first two weeks of September up about 6 per cent.
The strengthening momentum in the flow of goods is further improving the outlook for the world’s biggest manufacturing nation, helping offset weak demand at home as the global artificial intelligence infrastructure buildout propels trade across Asia.
Economists surveyed by Bloomberg in September upgraded their forecasts for 2026 and now expect growth in exports and imports to reach 17 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively.
The latest milestone preceded Xi’s state visit to Washington – his first since 2015 – with the US expected to hold off announcing new tariffs on China and other trading partners until after this week’s summit.
On Thursday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the world’s two biggest economies have agreed to extend their trade-war truce by two months to Jan 10, as they continue to work on a potential bigger deal.
The Trump administration had intended to release a report on alleged excess capacity before the meeting that would recommend a 7.5 per cent tariff on Chinese goods, Bloomberg News has reported.
Chinese exports to the US jumped in recent months after the US Supreme Court overturned some of Trump’s levies, bringing down the overall level of tariffs on China after the trade truce was struck late in 2025.
But already in August, “the tariff uncertainty” was a factor in frontloading US import demand as Chinese companies faced the risk of higher barriers, according to Zhaopeng Xing, senior China strategist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group.
Chinese exports have soared well above 2025’s record-settling levels, growing at double-digit rates through most of 2026 thanks partly to a boom in AI investment that sent the cost of chips skyrocketing.
Though higher prices for products like semiconductors have inflated the value of trade, the surging flow of containers shows growth is strong in volume terms as well.
China’s export dominance is alarming the EU and prompting officials there to consider protectionist measures to shield its industries.
The lopsidedness is getting worse. China’s share in global container exports hit nearly 40 per cent in the first seven months of 2026, according to Jens Eskelund, president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China.
“Five years ago, every time Europe exported one container to China, China exported 2.5 to Europe,” Eskelund said on Tuesday. “That relation now is six containers to Europe every time Europe exports one to China.” BLOOMBERG
