China's trade surplus surpasses $1 trillion as AI boom powers exports

In recent months, China's exports have skyrocketed, propelled by a burgeoning demand for artificial intelligence (AI) products such as computer chips, data centre servers, and networking equipment. This surge in exports has provided Beijing with a crucial economic boost, as domestic growth is hampered by persistent challenges in the property sector.

According to the General Administration of Customs (GAC), exports increased by 35.2% year-on-year to $412.3 billion last month, while imports rose by a sharper 41.6% to $307.1 billion. This has resulted in China's total trade surplus for the first ten months of the year reaching an unprecedented $1.04 trillion.

Zhiwei Zhang, President and Chief Economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, predicts that exporters will maintain robust performance in the near future. He is confident that China's macro policy stance will remain unchanged throughout the remainder of the year.

The export surge, however, has ignited tensions with several major trading partners. They express concern that an influx of lower-priced Chinese goods may undermine local industries. Exports to the United States, for instance, surged 32.9% last month, as reported by the GAC.

President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, have managed a precarious truce after a contentious trade war that began in October of the previous year. They recently agreed to continue this arrangement ahead of their upcoming discussions at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China, scheduled for November 18-19. It is also anticipated that Trump, Xi, and Russian President Vladimir Putin will engage in trilateral talks during the summit.

China's heavy reliance on exports to attain its annual growth target of 4.5-5.0% reflects the sluggish domestic consumption that has plagued the nation for several years. Inflation remained far below the official 2% target, as highlighted in Monday's data.