China’s trade booms as focus turns to expected Trump-Xi summit
Cargo ships and containers are seen at the container terminal of Nanjing Port, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province on Sept 8, 2026. (AFP Photo)
China’s imports and exports surged in August, helped by a global AI buildout that has fueled demand for technology products and ahead of an expected meeting between President Xi Jinping and U.S. counterpart Donald Trump.
After achieving a historic surplus in 2025, China’s trade has continued to boom this year, in 2026, thanks largely to heightened overseas demand for semiconductors, computing hardware and other products linked to the artificial intelligence boom.
Exports spiked 25 percent year-on-year, the General Administration of Customs said on Sept. 8, accelerating from July’s 23.9 percent growth, though the increase was just short of the 25.9 percent forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists.
