China's trade surplus widens to $112.5bn in July as AI driven exports jump 23.9%

According to official data from China's General Administration of Customs, published by Trading Economics on Friday, 16 Mordad 1405 (7 August 2026), China's trade surplus widened to 112.5 billion dollars in July 2026, up from 97.7 billion dollars a year earlier and beating analysts' forecast of 107 billion dollars. Exports jumped 23.9 percent year on year to 397.85 billion dollars, driven largely by strong demand for AI related technology products and a rush by manufacturers to ship goods to the United States ahead of possible new tariffs; semiconductor exports nearly doubled and overall high tech product exports rose 40.7 percent.

Imports also rose in July, up 27.7 percent year on year to 285.35 billion dollars, though the pace eased from a 36 percent jump in June. China's trade surplus with the United States narrowed to 28.03 billion dollars in July from 28.9 billion dollars in June. Over the first seven months of 2026, China's trade surplus reached 687.37 billion dollars, up from 683.5 billion dollars in the same period last year. The United States imposed a new 12.5 percent tariff on Chinese goods in late July, replacing an earlier temporary 10 percent levy.