China Expands Global Export Dominance as U.S. Turns Inward

Outside the United States, global demand for Chinese products is hitting new highs. Despite being a major target of U.S. tariffs, China has strengthened its trade relationships across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe in 2025. While China cements its role as a global export leader, the U.S. is increasingly shifting its focus toward self-reliance.

In 2024, China’s exports rose 6%, reaching $3.6 trillion, further widening the gap with the U.S. To put it in perspective, over one-third (36%) of the world’s export containers now carry Chinese goods. China is also expected to see record shipment volumes in 2025, particularly across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

The United States remains the world’s second-largest exporter, recording $2.1 trillion in exports last year. From January to July 2025, Canada and Mexico together made up about 30% of U.S. export demand.

Coming in third, Germany’s exports declined by 1% to $1.7 trillion, while the Netherlands followed with $921 billion.

Meanwhile, Vietnam, Hong Kong SAR, and France recorded the fastest export growth, up 14%, 12%, and 11%, respectively. Vietnam’s surge was driven by strong sales of oil, coffee, and rice, reflecting its growing role in shifting global supply chains.

Overall, China accounted for 14.6% of global exports in 2024, the largest share of any country. In contrast, while several economies experienced double-digit export growth, Australia saw the sharpest decline.

Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/biggest-exporters-in-the-world/