China’s Exports to US Show Resilience Amid Tariffs, Potentially Strengthening Trade Talks

• Daily exports from China to the U.S. reach $1 billion, defying high tariffs.

• Key sectors like electronics and e-bikes show growth despite global trade declines.

• Trade surplus hit $67 billion in Q3, with over $100 billion in Chinese goods imported to the U.S.

Discover how China’s trade resilience defies U.S. tariffs in 2025. Explore e-bikes, electronics surges and supply chain dominance. Stay informed on global trade dynamics—read now for key insights.

What is driving China’s trade resilience against U.S. tariffs?

China’s trade resilience against U.S. tariffs stems from its dominant role in global supply chains for electronics, rare earths, and consumer goods. Despite levies up to 55%, daily exports to the U.S. average $1 billion, fueled by strong demand for products like e-bikes and smartphones. This position gives Beijing leverage in negotiations, maintaining economic growth targets.

How are Chinese exports like e-bikes and electronics performing amid trade tensions?

Chinese exports of e-bikes to the U.S. exceeded $500 million in the third quarter, marking a modest increase from the previous year, according to China’s customs data. Electronics shipments, including smartphones, laptops, and components, totaled about $8 billion during July-September. Bloomberg economists Chang Shu and David Qu note that U.S. tariffs have limited impact due to China’s irreplaceable supply chain role in the short term. They emphasize that realigning production elsewhere would require significant time and investment. Statistics show a rebound in these sectors despite a 6-month global trade decline of double digits. Expert analysis from Zhaopeng Xing, senior China strategist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group, underscores that loopholes in tariff enforcement, such as transshipping via third countries like Vietnam or Mexico, help sustain flows. These methods allow importers to declare lower customs values, reducing effective duties. Overall, such resilience supports China’s bilateral trade surplus of $67 billion in the quarter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What impact do U.S. tariffs have on China’s key exports to America?

U.S. tariffs up to 55% have not significantly curbed China’s key exports like electronics and e-bikes, with daily shipments holding at $1 billion. Economists from Bloomberg argue that supply chain dependencies limit tariff effectiveness, allowing over $100 billion in Q3 imports and a $67 billion surplus.

Why is China maintaining a strong negotiating position in U.S. trade talks?

China’s strong negotiating position arises from its control over critical supply chains in electronics and rare earths, making quick replacements challenging for the U.S. As the 90-day tariff truce nears expiration in November, sustained exports ensure economic stability and bargaining power for President Xi Jinping’s team.

Key Takeaways

• Trade Surplus Growth: China’s U.S. trade surplus reached $67 billion in Q3 2025, driven by resilient exports exceeding $100 billion.
• Sector-Specific Resilience: E-bikes exports rose to over $500 million, while electrical cables increased 87% to $405 million, defying tariffs.
• Future Shifts Possible: While dominance persists short-term, higher tariffs under potential policy changes could prompt gradual supply chain realignment—monitor ongoing talks for impacts.

Conclusion

China’s trade resilience against U.S. tariffs in 2025 underscores its pivotal role in global supply chains, with sectors like electronics and e-bikes leading the surge despite levies up to 55%. As negotiations aim to extend the tariff truce beyond November, this dynamic bolsters Beijing’s economic goals and highlights enduring U.S.-China trade interdependence. Stakeholders should watch for policy evolutions that could reshape these flows in the coming months.

China continues to export approximately $1 billion worth of goods to the U.S. daily, defying levies of up to 55%. The surge shows how President Xi Jinping’s government maintains a strong negotiating position in ongoing trade talks as both nations vie for control of global supply chains.

Some Chinese goods, such as e-bikes and electronics, have recently witnessed an uptick in 2025, despite double-digit declines in the value of global commerce over the last six months. The rebound defies ongoing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Bloomberg economists Chang Shu and David Qu claimed that U.S. tariffs appear to have limited power to regulate the imports of American companies. The economists argued that, due to China’s dominance in industries such as electronics and rare earths, removing its products from global supply chains is difficult, at least in the short term. They added that China’s dominance might shift in the future, particularly if Trump raises tariffs further.

Chang Shu and David Qu noted that “China’s strong position in global supply chains gives it some bargaining power with U.S. importers in the near term.” The economists cautioned that other countries cannot easily replace China as a supplier to the U.S., claiming that realigning production will take time.

According to the economists, all that is giving Chinese President Xi Jinping more bargaining power as his trade negotiators head into talks aimed at extending a 90-day tariff truce that’s set to expire in November. More than $100 billion worth of Chinese commodities reached the United States in the third quarter. The economists claimed that these commodities help Beijing maintain economic growth in line with its yearly goal and increase the bilateral trade surplus to $67 billion.

China’s customs data reveal an increase in shipments of e-cigarettes last quarter, despite almost all the top 10 exports to the U.S. declining in the same period compared to the same period a year earlier.  Strong demand for e-bikes is also evident in the United States. In the three months ending in September, Chinese companies exported over $500 million worth of e-bikes, representing a modest increase over the same period last year.

Over the last three months, the value of exported refined copper cathodes has also increased from nearly zero to $270 million, while the value of electrical cables has increased by 87% to $405 million.

“Both sides may reduce dependence on each other, but it cannot be reduced to zero.”

–Zhaopeng Xing, senior China strategist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group.

Xing added that cracks in Trump’s tariff wall are probably making some of the trade possible by keeping costs down.

ANZ’s Xing explained that American importers can avoid paying a higher charge by declaring the customs value of products based on their first sale in a third nation. Xing suggested that the American importers can then boost the price when the commodities arrive at a U.S. port. He claimed that by transshipping through Vietnam or Mexico, some businesses are probably not paying the entire tax.

Xing added, “There are a lot of loopholes.” U.S. Customs “just don’t have enough manpower to address them.”

Chinese corporations shipped approximately $8 billion worth of smartphones, laptops, tablets, and computer parts to the United States during the July-September quarter.

Customers in the United States have continued to purchase packages from online retailers such as Shein Group and PDD Holdings, including Temu. Chinese data revealed that since the Trump administration closed the loophole in May, almost $5.4 billion worth of these tiny parcels had been shipped to the United States despite being subject to a 54% charge.

The Japan Times reported that, given that Trump prioritizes onshoring vital industries and wants to restore American manufacturing, trade between the U.S. and China will decline in the future. Shipments from China have already fallen to less than $320 billion this year, which is comparable to the amount in 2017, before Trump’s first trade war.