Urgent.News

What's breaking now, across thousands of outlets.

Business

Two-speed economy: China's exports soar, consumers exercise restraint

Between July and September, the Chinese economy grew more strongly than expected. The main driver was exports of tech components. But what happens when the global AI boom subsides?

Translated from German Read in German

Two-speed economy: China's exports soar, consumers exercise restraint

China's economy grew 4.5% between July and September, surpassing most experts' expectations, driven by a surge in tech exports, particularly in memory chips and smartphones. The country's exports rose 36.3% in September, with a trade surplus of $133.5 billion. However, domestic demand remains weak, with retail sales increasing only 1.1% in September, and the property market crisis continues to weigh on consumer confidence.

The export boom, fueled by the global AI boom, may be at risk if the trend reverses, potentially leading to significant declines in corporate profits and job losses.

Written by urgent.news from NZZ Wirtschaft's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

Read the original at nzz.ch →

More in Business

The Daily Roundup

October 19th, 2026 | Welcome to The Wire’s daily news roundup. Each day, our staff gathers the top China business, finance, and economics headlines from a selection of the world’s leading news…

More from Monday 19 October →