China’s exports surged 14.1% in April compared with a year ago, highlighting the strength of the country’s manufacturing sector despite the ongoing Iran war and continued pressure from higher US tariffs.
The result was far stronger than analysts had expected and marked a sharp turnaround from March, when exports grew by just 2.5% compared with a year earlier. Shipments to the US also rebounded, rising 11.3% from the previous year after plunging 26.5% in March.
Imports also remained strong, rising 25.3% in April. While that was slightly slower than the 27.8% increase recorded in March, it still pointed to solid demand.
“We’re expecting that overall external demand will remain a solid driver of growth this year,” Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at Dutch bank ING, said.
In March, China’s leaders set an economic growth target of between 4.5% and 5% for the year — a modest slowdown from last year’s 5% growth and the country’s lowest official target since 1991.
Strong export growth is expected to remain a key driver of China’s broader economy, with shipments to Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa all rising in recent months.
China’s exports to the US have mostly declined in the months since Trump introduced steeper tariffs and tighter restrictions on technology sharing after taking office last year.
However, trade between the two countries is expected to be on a better footing this year, Song said, pointing in part to “base effects” after the steep drops triggered by the 2025 tariff hikes.
A meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping is scheduled to take place next week in Beijing.
Beyond efforts to help broker an end to the Iran war, the Trump–Xi summit is also expected to focus heavily on trade and export controls. That includes sensitive issues such as rare earth supplies and US restrictions on advanced technology exports to China.