China's trade surplus from January to February exceeds expectations, with exports surging

Investing.com - China’s trade surplus in the first two months of 2026 exceeded expectations. After a strong performance in 2025, overseas demand for the country’s main export products remains robust.

Government data shows that the trade surplus increased to $213.62 billion during January and February. This figure is well above the expected $177.40 billion.

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The strong surplus was mainly driven by a significant increase in exports, which surged 21.8% during January and February, compared to an expected growth of only 7.1%.

This data indicates that China’s massive export industry—the country’s key growth engine—remains strong even after hitting a record $1.2 trillion trade surplus in 2026.

Following the Supreme Court ruling against President Donald Trump’s tariffs, most U.S. trade tariffs are expected to be eased, which should boost exports to the U.S., while demand from other parts of the world is also expected to stay strong.

China’s export sector in 2025 largely recovered from the negative impact of increased U.S. trade tariffs, as demand from Europe and Asia was enough to offset the slowdown in U.S. exports.

Data released on Tuesday shows that domestic demand also improved significantly in the first two months of 2026, with imports rising 19.8%, far above the expected 6.3%.

This data was partly driven by increased consumer spending during the Lunar New Year holiday, and industrial demand for bulk commodities also rebounded.

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