Chinese-made cars are seen on special vehicle racks as they prepare to be loaded onto ships for export, at the Taicang Port area of Suzhou Port, east China’s Jiangsu province on October 12, 2026.
– | Afp | Getty Images
BEIJING – China’s exports rose 36.3% in September from a year ago, the fastest pace since February, according to official data released Wednesday.
Imports rose 31%, the fastest increase since June, the data showed, up from 28.2% in August.
Exports and imports exceeded estimates from a Reuters poll, by 25.5% and 24.5%, respectively.
Earlier this year, China’s exports and imports each rose at their fastest pace in five years.
A surge in demand for China-made parts for data centers to power artificial intelligence has helped fuel exports, along with the stabilization of tensions with the US, China’s largest trading partner on a one-country basis.
“The resulting trade surplus of $133.5 billion, a monthly record high, underscores the strength of China’s external sector despite concerns about domestic demand,” Hao Zhou, head of research and chief economist at Guotai Junan International Holdings, said in a note.
Global research has weighed on the economic impact of China’s exports, which have soared in recent years, amid sluggish domestic demand. AI-related demand and rising prices of core products also helped support import growth.
The U.S. and China last month announced plans to reimpose tariffs on $30 billion of goods from each country, and extend a two-month-long trade truce until January.
The European Union last week announced China had agreed to halve its hybrid car exports to the bloc, following high-level trade talks in Beijing.