Containers at the Port of Shanghai, the world's largest commercial port, December 8, 2025. AFP
The figures confirm European concerns about a surge in Chinese exports. For the first time, China's trade surplus has exceeded $1 trillion (€860 billion) over the course of a year, even without including shipments from the world's largest exporter in December. Chinese exports grew by 5.9% in November compared with a year earlier, while imports rose by only 1.9%, according to statistics released on Monday, December 8, by the Chinese Customs Administration.
These data fuel the arguments of those worried about the relentless rise of Chinese exports, as the country seeks new markets to absorb output that far outpaces its own domestic demand. This was a central issue during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to China from December 3 to December 5. In an interview with the newspaper Les Echos published on December 7, following his return, the French head of state said: "I told them that if they do not respond, we Europeans will be forced, in the coming months, to take strong measures (…) just as the United States has done, such as tariffs on Chinese products." The issue had also been raised by US President Donald Trump, who cited it in April to justify the sharp increase in US tariffs on Chinese imports, prompting Beijing to respond in kind.
