Chips and cars lead
China's exports rose 36.3 percent in September from a year earlier to $447.18 billion, customs data showed. That was the fastest growth since February and well above the 25.5 percent rise economists expected in a Reuters poll. August growth was 25 percent.
Much of the gain came from electronics and semiconductors. Demand for China-made parts for data centres has climbed through the year as companies build out AI computing capacity. Car shipments also rose sharply. Passenger car exports reached 914,617 units in August, and electric car exports hit 284,622.
A record surplus
Imports rose 31 percent to $313.65 billion, faster than the 24.5 percent forecast. Even so, the monthly trade surplus reached a record $133.5 billion. Exports to the United States climbed 39.6 percent as trade tensions eased.
Last month Washington and Beijing said they would roll back tariffs on $30 billion of goods from each side and extend a broader truce by two months to January. The truce has kept tariffs from rising further while both sides negotiate.
The IMF expects China's economy to grow 4.5 percent this year, the slowest pace since 1990 apart from the pandemic years. "The strong export growth should keep China's growth on track to achieve its growth target of 4.5-5 percent for 2026," Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING, told Al Jazeera.
What it means for ports and shipping
Stronger shipments mean more containers moving through Shanghai, Ningbo and Shenzhen. Port operators have reported heavier volumes through the third quarter, and freight rates on some routes have firmed as carriers add capacity.
The surge also draws scrutiny. Trading partners have complained for years that Chinese exports are outpacing domestic demand, and the record surplus gives them fresh material for complaints in bilateral talks. Chinese officials say the growth reflects competitive products, not unfair pricing.
For warehouse and distribution operators, the practical effect is tighter schedules: more pallets arriving, shorter dwell times and less room for error where loads change direction at transfer points and loading docks.
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