Trade boom: China’s exports surge 21.8% in first 2 months of year

China’s export growth accelerated sharply in the first two months of this year, defying last year’s high base while experts pointed to the likelihood of strong momentum for the rest of the year.Exports jumped 21.8 per cent from a year earlier to US$656.58 billion in the combined figures for January and February released by customs authorities on Tuesday.This represented a significant acceleration from the 6.6 per cent growth recorded in December and the 5.5 per cent rise recorded for all of last year.Imports for the first two months rose by 19.8 per cent from a year earlier, accelerating from December’s 5.7 per cent growth.Last year’s 5.5 per cent growth propelled the annual value of China’s exports to US$3.77 trillion, according to customs data, with the surge in exports contributing to a record merchandise trade surplus of US$1.19 trillion.Exports to the United States fell 11 per cent, year on year, in the first two months of 2026, the data showed, compared with a 30 per cent decline in December and a 20 per cent drop for all of last year. Despite the slump, the US remained China’s largest single-country export market in 2025.