The EU’s Uphill Climb
Days after European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič met with Chinese officials in an effort to reduce Chinese exports to the world’s biggest trading block, China published statistics for September that illustrate the uphill climb faced by Mr. Šefčovič.
In September, Chinese exports to the EU increased 25% year-on-year to $60.2 billion…
One way of looking at China’s trade economy in December and for the full 2025 year is its export surge, amplified by a weak currency, deflation at home, and inflation in most of the rest of the world. China pumped up total monthly exports 6.6% to $357.8 billion in December from $335.6 billion over the…
Happy New Year. While we wait on the Supreme Court to rule whether the Trump administration is entitled to apply tariffs on national security grounds, global trade grinds on. We at Trade Data Monitor are paying attention to what’s happening via the prism of official trade statistics. It’s a radically different world than when I started covering…
Why China is Still Buying
If you’re pessimistic about global trade, you’ve likely been paying too much attention to the Beijing-Washington trade spat.
The headline number: In September, Chinese exports to the U.S. declined 27% year-on-year. However, even including that number, China’s monthly exports increased 8.3% year-on-year to $328.6 billion.
The truth is that there…
Age of the EV
We’re entering the age of the electric vehicle, and global trade is keeping pace. Around 20% of all cars bought in the world in 2023, a total of almost 14 million, were electric, and there are now 40 million on the road, according to the International Energy Agency. Total trade in…
