High Tech – Trade Data Monitor

China’s Hidden Trade Deficit: Microchips

Silicon wafer for manufacturing semiconductor of integrated circuit.

Another Big Month for Chinese Exports China on Tuesday reported another phenomenal month of exports. Its total shipments rose 25% year-on-year in August to $401.4 billion. Meanwhile, total imports increased 28.2% to $282.4 billion. The gap means China is on track to report a second straight year of a trade surplus of well over a trillion… Continue reading China’s Hidden Trade Deficit: Microchips

Trade Statistics Show Inflation

Holding a fuel nozzle

AI is Still Driving Trade Despite an increase in protectionism and tariffs, global trade has persisted at a steady pace thanks to a boom in sales of new technologies related to artificial intelligence. The war in the Middle East and subsequent energy crisis have only made economies more focused on restructuring in an environmentally friendly… Continue reading Trade Statistics Show Inflation

Is The U.S.-China Trade War Over?

U.S.-China Summit This Week When Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet in Beijing, trade, for once, won’t be the primary topic. Among more severe crises in play are the U.S. war with Iran, the rise of artificial intelligence, and China’s desire to annex Taiwan. After the Trump’s imposition of triple-digit tariffs last year, Beijing… Continue reading Is The U.S.-China Trade War Over?

How AI Is Driving Global Trade

Circuit board and AI micro processor, Artificial intelligence of digital human. 3d render

Lower Growth in China In early March, Chinese leadership set their lowest gross domestic product growth target since 1991, forecasting a 4.5% to 5% expansion for its economy in 2026. This week, China reported a 21.8% year-on-year increase in exports for January and February to $656.6 billion. To avoid distorted numbers because of Chinese New… Continue reading How AI Is Driving Global Trade

Global Trade is Moving On — Without the U.S.

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… Continue reading Global Trade is Moving On — Without the U.S.

TDM’s Top 10 Trade Trends to Watch in 2026

container yard closeup, port of ningbo zhoushan, China

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… Continue reading TDM’s Top 10 Trade Trends to Watch in 2026

The Lessons of China’s First-Ever Trillion-Dollar Trade Surplus

Aerial top view of container cargo ship in the export and import business and logistics international goods in urban city. Shipping to the harbor by crane in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong City at night.

The Trillion-Dollar Surplus After falling year-on-year in October, China’s exports rebounded in November enough that it is almost certain that for 2025, the country that was mired in poverty when you and I were born will become the first nation ever to record a trillion-dollar trade surplus. The number is just a number, but it’s… Continue reading The Lessons of China’s First-Ever Trillion-Dollar Trade Surplus

Casualties of the U.S.-China Trade War: 36 Million Phones

Group of workers at small parts manufacturing factory in China, wearing protective clothing, hats and masks

Please Dial a New Number As U.S. and Chinese negotiators try to find a way out of tariff gridlock, one thing is certain: The smartphone supply chain has shifted significantly, upending the practices and expectations of manufacturers, logistics firms, and retailers. China’s exports of mobile phone fell 11.6% year-on-year in August to 60.8 million sets.… Continue reading Casualties of the U.S.-China Trade War: 36 Million Phones

Global Coal Trade is Finally Faltering

Work in port coal handling terminal.

China Cuts Coal Imports For years, as governments around the world embraced clean energy technology, coal trade held steady because China was still buying. As the rest of the world turned away from coal, China boosted imports to power its booming electrification, and a vibrant new industry of electric vehicles and batteries. In 2024, it… Continue reading Global Coal Trade is Finally Faltering

How Tariffs Are Reshuffling EV Trade

Beautiful young happy asian business woman in black suit standing near her new car and using smartphone. Buying and renting a car. Travel, tourism, recreation.

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… Continue reading How Tariffs Are Reshuffling EV Trade

Can Chinese Imports Boost the Global Economy?

Portrait of engineer worker of factory technician with Chinese woman style sit in front of cargo container crane in workplace area. Concept of good support best successful for industrial business.

The Beijing trade engine has been slumping this year amid a tepid global economy, so a surprising jump in Chinese imports in April has raised the prospect of a China-led recovery. Total Chinese imports rose 8.4% year-on-year in April to $220.1 billon, almost double analyst expectations. Total exports increased 1.5% to $292.5 billon. Surprising Global… Continue reading Can Chinese Imports Boost the Global Economy?

China’s EV Export Boom is Driving up Demand for RoRo Ships

cargo ship running in the ocean, Ro-Ro Ship for import export shipping cars by Vessel Freight forwarding service ship, Logistics transportation dealer shipping Cars Cars Export Terminal.

China’s electric car export boom has fueled demand in the country for automobile transport ships, driving up prices for foreign buyers. Overall, in March, Chinese ship exports fell 5.9% year-on-year by quantity in March to 399, after steadily rising for most of this decade. By value, they increased 34% to $3.1 billion. So called Roll-on/roll-off,… Continue reading China’s EV Export Boom is Driving up Demand for RoRo Ships

What’s Behind the High-Tech Trade Slump?

Two young women in VR glasses doing experiments in robotics in a laboratory. Robot on the table

It’s not been an easy time for international trade, as a recent report co-authored by Trade Data Monitor and the World Intellectual Property Organization found. High-tech exports are set to decline by 4 percent in 2023, according to the TDM/WIPO analysis. Global and high-tech trade have soared and sunk like rollercoasters since 2019. After the… Continue reading What’s Behind the High-Tech Trade Slump?

Trade Data Monitor’s Top 10 Trade Trends Going Into 2024

Aerial view container cargo ship, import export commerce global business trade logistic and transportation of worldwide by container cargo ship boat in the open sea, Freight shipping maritime.

It’s not an easy time for global trade–the roughly $25 trillion piece of the $105 trillion world economy. Protectionism is roaring in the U.S. and Europe, causing geopolitical tension with China. Inflation across most of the world has shrunk consumers’ wallets and imports, while deflation in China is also scaring businesses. Asian supply chains are… Continue reading Trade Data Monitor’s Top 10 Trade Trends Going Into 2024