China Races to Ship Goods Before Trump Tariffs Hit – March Exports Surge 12.4%

China’s exports surged by 12.4% in March as companies rushed to ship goods to the U.S. ahead of newly announced steep tariffs from former President Donald Trump. The spike reflects growing urgency among exporters to beat the clock before a major trade squeeze takes effect.

🔺 Tariffs Rise, Exporters Rush Deliveries Trump, who has returned to the political spotlight, has dramatically escalated tariffs on Chinese imports. After initial hikes from 10% to 20%, he has now raised duties to a staggering 145% on most goods shipped from China to the United States. The announcement triggered a wave of accelerated shipments from Chinese manufacturers, hoping to sneak their goods through before the new tariff wave fully kicks in.

📊 Trade Surplus Grows Despite Falling Imports In March, China recorded a $102.6 billion trade surplus, even as imports fell 4.3% year-on-year. Exports rose to $211.3 billion, signaling a push to maximize shipments ahead of looming tariff walls. Interestingly, China’s imports of several major commodities — including soybeans, coal, iron ore, and copper — declined sharply. Soy imports from the U.S. plunged by nearly 37%, likely due to the growing trade dispute.

U.S. Trade Surplus: $76.6 Billion in Q1 Despite the tariff tension, China continues to maintain a strong trade surplus with the United States. In March alone, the surplus reached $27.6 billion. For Q1 2024, the figure hit $76.6 billion, with March exports to the U.S. rising 4.5%. According to Julian Evans-Pritchard, Chief China Economist at Capital Economics: “Export growth accelerated in March as manufacturers rushed shipments to the U.S. ahead of ‘Liberation Day’,”

referring to the expected implementation of Trump’s latest tariff hike. However, he warned: “Shipments will likely fall back in the months ahead. It could take years for Chinese exports to return to current levels.”

🛡️ China Vows to Fight: “We’ll Go All the Way” Beijing is taking a defiant stance. President Xi Jlnping, during talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, emphasized that China and the EU should stand together against ‘unilateral bullying’, according to state media Xinhua. China has pledged to defend its economy against external shocks and “fight to the end” in response to U.S. trade aggression.

📉 Economists Downgrade China’s Growth Forecast The trade uncertainty has prompted economists to revise China’s 2025 growth outlook: 🔹 Goldman Sachs cut its forecast from 4.5% to 4%

🔹 Citi reduced its estimate from 4.7% to 4.2% Both projections fall short of China’s official target of “around 5%”.

📈 Markets Edge Up on Speculation of Tariff Exemptions China’s CSI300 Index rose modestly by 0.3% on Monday, boosted by speculation that Trump may exempt select consumer electronics from the new tariff list — at least temporarily.

🧩 Bottom Line: China Takes a Deep Breath Before the Fight As global trade tension heats up, Chinese exporters are working overtime to deliver what they can before the window closes. But the real question remains: How long can China’s export machine maintain this pace under mounting pressure?

#china , #TrendingTopic , #TradeWars , #trumptariffs , #TRUMP

Stay one step ahead – follow our profile and stay informed about everything important in the world of cryptocurrencies! Notice: ,The information and views presented in this article are intended solely for educational purposes and should not be taken as investment advice in any situation. The content of these pages should not be regarded as financial, investment, or any other form of advice. We caution that investing in cryptocurrencies can be risky and may lead to financial losses.“