China’s exports rose 25% in August, faster than July, pushing the trade surplus to $119.1 billion and raising fresh US trade concerns.

Imports climbed too, up 28.2% year-on-year, though this fell short of what economists had been expecting. The gap between what China sold and what it bought widened the country’s monthly trade surplus to $119.1 billion, up from $112.5 billion in July.

A big part of it comes down to the global AI boom. Demand for Chinese-made cars, semiconductors and other high-tech goods has stayed strong through the year.

That’s helping offset weakness elsewhere in the economy, including soft domestic spending, a struggling property market, and slower factory activity at home.

This pattern isn’t new for China. Last year, the country posted a record annual trade surplus of $1.2 trillion. Based on how 2026 is trending so far, it’s on track for a similarly strong result.

These export numbers are also adding pressure to an already tense trade relationship. The United States has been urging China to rely less on exports and boost domestic consumption instead.

That message comes just ahead of a planned meeting between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House later this month. A fragile tariff truce between the two countries is set to expire in November unless it gets renewed.

There’s been friction on other fronts too. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently accused Beijing of blocking a G20 statement calling on countries with large trade surpluses to fix the imbalance.

China’s Commerce Ministry rejected the claim, saying it was simply an excuse for US protectionism. Weather also played a part in August’s trade flows.

Typhoons forced several major ports in eastern China to briefly pause operations, slowing cargo movement through parts of the month.

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