China trade beats forecasts as 2025 surplus hits massive record

China's trade performance has exceeded expectations as it closed 2025 with impressive figures. Exports grew by 6.6% year-over-year in December, far surpassing the 3.0% forecast, while imports rose by 5.7%, also well above predictions. This led to a December trade surplus of $114.1 billion, slightly above the consensus of $113.6 billion. For the whole year of 2025, China's trade surplus reached a record of $1.19 trillion, highlighting the economy's heavy reliance on external demand amidst uneven domestic momentum. The figures indicate that the external sector will remain crucial for growth into 2026, but the large surplus may attract more scrutiny from major partners as global protectionist pressures rise.