China’s exports regained momentum in June as firms rushed to place orders to capitalize on a fragile tariff truce between Beijing and Washington ahead of a looming deadline next month, with shipments to Southeast Asian transit hubs particularly strong.
Businesses on both sides of the Pacific are waiting to see whether the world’s two largest economies can agree on a more durable deal or if global supply chains will again be upended by the reimposition of duties exceeding 100%.
Chinese producers, facing weak demand at home and harsher conditions in the United States, where they sell more than $400 billion worth of goods annually, are also hedging their bets and racing to grab market share in economies closer to home.
A container ship arrives at the port in Lianyungang, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province on July 14, 2025. AFP via Getty Images
Customs data on Monday showed outbound shipments from China rose