China's Trade Surplus Surges Amid Economic Challenges

China's trade surplus has surpassed $1 trillion for the first time, reaching an accumulated total of $1.08 trillion through November 2025, according to China's customs agency, as reported by the New York Times.

This figure marks a significant increase of 21.7 percent compared to the same period last year. Despite the tariffs imposed by former President Trump, which led to a nearly 20 percent drop in Chinese exports to the United States, China has been able to offset these losses by ramping up exports to other regions including Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America.

In November, China recorded a trade surplus of $111.68 billion, its third-largest monthly surplus ever. The strength of China's exports is also attributed to the weak value of its currency, the renminbi, making Chinese goods more affordable internationally.

The currency is currently estimated to be undervalued by as much as a third, which has drawn criticism but has also helped sustain millions of jobs in export factories, according to the New York Times.

As traditional manufacturing powerhouses like Germany, Japan, and South Korea struggle to compete, factories in developing nations have faced production cuts or closures due to the overwhelming competition from Chinese products.