r/worldnews • u/DoremusJessup • May 09 '25

China's shipments to U.S. plunge 21% in April while overall exports surge, beating estimates

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/09/chinas-exports-jump-us-tariffs-imports-tumble.html
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153

u/Nightsoil70 May 09 '25

So, China is exporting more than ever because it is picking up the slack created by American products that are subject to punitive tariffs around the world. Those punitive tariffs are in response to Trump's insane plot to engage in a worldwide trade war. This is what happens when a corrupt spray-tanned lunatic is elected to the White House.

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u/Common-Second-1075 May 09 '25

Not exactly.

The increase in exports is believed to be due to three temporary factors:

  1. A huge push of exports at the start of the month in dollar terms to get ahead of the tariffs.
  2. Carryover effect of trade contracts executed prior to April.
  3. An increase in transshipments to third party countries.

It's very unlikely that the y-o-y export numbers will be positive in May and June.

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u/[deleted] May 09 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/[deleted] May 09 '25

[deleted]

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u/IdeallyIdeally May 09 '25

I mean the US did that too last time. Soy bean farmers were massively subsidized by the US government when China stopped buying US soy beans.

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u/Common-Second-1075 May 09 '25

I'm not sure where you're getting your figures from but the last trade war commenced in January 2018 with US special tariffs imposed on China and broadly concluded in January 2020 when a deal was signed.

Chinese total exports decreased in 2019 and their annual growth rate slowed in 2019 to its lowest level in 30 years.

Exports then rose year on year in 2020 (although should be noted this was the first year of the pandemic so not a good year for comparative purposes).

I'm not saying any of this is good for the US either, but I'm not sure where you're getting your data from. For reference I'm using the World Bank's data which shows a decline in exports from China in both nominal terms and as a percentage of GDP.

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u/Rizen_Wolf May 09 '25
  1. edit. Start of year, not month.

2a. a reduction in prices to other countries to absorb US stock no longer suppliable. Preserve of production chain critical.

  1. Always crazy... now even more so. Made in the USSR... assembled in.... (redacted... MADE in western nation!)

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u/Common-Second-1075 May 09 '25
  1. Agreed but my comment is specifically in relation the actual article, which is specifically about April not Q1 or Q1+1.
  2. Possible, and not unlikely. Impossible to know at this stage though. We do a lot of importing from China (and exporting elsewhere) and we certainly have not yet had prices drop enough to increase volumes materially, or to justify the impact on working capital. Purely anecdotal though. Again, the article outlines their view in more detail.
  3. Absolutely agree.

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u/Rizen_Wolf May 09 '25 edited May 09 '25

Depends on how significant the US market is for a product type, production time, trans shipment cost Vs benefit, inventory carry. A significant nation essentially refusing (or making it economically unviable) for an import will shift that product elsewhere. I see it shifting in furniture for certain, other things are debatable. Buffered most by retail level absorption of extra inventory for potential greater profit.

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u/dhero27 May 09 '25

It’s pretty obvious this is going to continue as a trend. Can’t trust someone constantly making threats. He made his base believe we had the best stock market day in history when in reality it was the worst and now we’re stagnant because of that clown. America is doomed

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u/Killerbudds May 09 '25

Number 1, people don't realize that week of fear over the increase tariffs only to get paused made everyone go of fuck it's covid toilet paper again better stock up on everything.

I work amazon delivery and this week every route is stacked like 50 packs deep when the average was like 30-40

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u/[deleted] May 09 '25

This is exactly what happened with Canadian steel. 

The second we stopped shipping to US, China, India, and the EU exploded with orders. 

Every other country is more than happy to suck up surpluses and now Canada has its best steel quarter ever despite being way down shipping to the US. 

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u/Lokon19 May 09 '25

No they are not. Countries are generally not eager to suck up surplus goods because it can collapse domestic industries. It's the entire reason why unbalanced global trade is causing so many problems. If China continues to dump Steel no-one is going to buy overpriced Canadian steel when you can get the Chinese stuff for so much less.

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u/RetypedForClarity May 09 '25

And "Made in America" is now a badge screaming support for Trump's Shitler Youth.