AdvertisementAdvertisementEast AsiaChinese made cars and containers are seen before being loaded onto ships at the port in Shanghai on Jun 11, 2025. (File photo: AFP/STR)13 Oct 2025 12:55PM Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInRead a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST BEIJING: China's export growth picked up pace in September, buoyed by manufacturers finding buyers in markets beyond the US as a tariff deal with President Donald Trump remained elusive while investors grappled with the latest salvoes in their trade war.Outbound shipments from the world's second-largest economy rose an annual 8.3 per cent last month, customs data showed on Monday (Oct 13), beating a 6 per cent increase in a Reuters poll and registering the fastest growth since March. They compared with the 4.4 per cent increase in August.Imports grew 7.4 per cent, their fastest pace since April 2024, against a 1.3 per cent gain a month prior, and a forecast rise of 1.5 per cent."Chinese firms are actively tapping into new markets with the relative cost advantage of their goods, that's for sure," said Xu Tianchen, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit in Beijing."The United States now only accounts for less than 10 per cent of China's direct exports," he added. "100 per cent tariffs would no doubt add to the pressure China's export sector is under, but I don't think the impact will be as large as before."Trump on Friday unveiled additional levies of 100 per cent on China's US-bound exports, reviving the trade war between the two economic heavyweights, after Beijing put several new rare earth elements under export controls and imposed additional scrutiny on semiconductor users.Analysts said China was likely trying to increase its leverage ahead of expected talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month.No other country comes close to matching US' consumption power, which once absorbed over US$400 billion of Chinese goods each year. But policymakers are banking on factory owners boosting sales to Asia, Africa and Latin America to offset the trade curbs and keep the US$19 trillion export-oriented economy on track to hit an official annual growth target of around 5 per cent.The two superpowers appear to be struggling to chart a path beyond their current tariff truce, a 90-day pause from Aug 11 that ends around Nov 9.US and Chinese officials met after last month's Madrid summit, widely viewed as a breakthrough for a deal struck on TikTok, to discuss technical issues that predated that meeting.Trump ratchets up US-China trade war, promising new 100% tariffsBeijing blames US for raising trade tensions, defends rare earth curbsIn the meantime, Chinese exporters have made strides in other markets. Exports to regional rival India hit an all-time high in August, according to the most recent customs data, and shipments to Africa and Southeast Asia are on track for annual records.China's trade surplus fell to US$90.45 billion in September, from US$102.33 billion a month prior, and missed a forecast of US$98.96 billion.Pointing to the persistent depressed domestic demand, South Korean exports to China - a leading indicator of the world's second-largest economy's imports - rose just 0.5 per cent last month, recent data out of Seoul showed.A slice of optimism came at the end of September, though, when China's state planner said it will deploy 500 million yuan (US$70.15 million) of policy-based financial tools to accelerate investment projects, as part of Beijing's efforts to support the slowing economy.The announcement came too late to influence September data, with manufacturing activity for the month, as well as the most recent retail sales and factory output figures for August lagging as China observers watched to see whether Beijing would announce fresh stimulus or a breakthrough with the Trump administration.Source: Reuters/lhNewsletterWeek in ReviewSubscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in ReviewOur chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.Sign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST