China’s exports miss forecasts as U.S. tariffs bite -imports record sharp decline

China’s exports in the January 2025 to February 2025 period rose 2.3% in U.S. dollar terms from a year earlier, significantly undershooting expectations of a 5% increase

That marked the slowest growth since April 2024 last year when exports increased by just 1.5% on the year, according to recently released data.

Imports surprised markets by declining 8.4% year-on-year in the first two months of 2025, the sharpest fall since July 2023.

Trump’s first round of 10% tariff hikes on Chinese goods took effect on 4th February 2025, followed by another 10% tariff increase just one month later, taking the cumulative levies to 20%.

China retaliated in kind.

* Data from the customs authority