Global News Of Note: China Records Largest Trade Surplus Ever
What happens abroad impacts MSCI members in North America. Here is the latest economic, trade, and other policy news of note for the last week:
- As The New York Times reported, China recorded the world’s largest trade surplus ever in 2025. Specifically, the gap between imports and exports surged to $1.19 trillion, a 20 percent increase from 2024. For December alone, China’s surplus reached $114.14 billion due to “surging exports to the European Union, Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia,” The Times
- According to Reuters, Chinese steel exports hit a record monthly high in December 2025, due mostly to front-loading in anticipation of the Chinese government’s export license requirement for shipments, which began in 2026. Exports totaled 11.3 million metric tons for the final month of 2025. Steel exports rose by 7.5 percent from December 2024 to December 2025.