How did China surpass the US and the European Union in trade?
In 2000, China led the US and the European Union in terms of bilateral merchandise trade volume with only 10 economies. By 2025, the number of such countries and territories reached 92. During this period, China's foreign merchandise trade grew almost 14-fold.
How China pulled ahead of the US and the EU in trade
The calculations include exports and imports of goods, while trade in services is excluded. The comparison was made only among the three parties: China's dominance means that a particular country traded more with it than with the US or the EU individually. This does not mean that China is first among all of that country's trading partners.
In 2000, out of 175 economies analyzed, the EU led among the trio in 112, the US in 53, and China in 10.
According to 2025 data, China ranked first in trade with 92 countries and territories, the EU with 55, and the US with 32.
Out of 175 economies with data available for both years, the leading partner among the trio changed in 88. In 81 of these, first place went to China: it overtook the EU in 57 and the US in 24.
The largest shifts occurred in Asia. While Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia traded most with the US among the trio in 2000, China later pulled ahead. In Australia and New Zealand, China took the place of the EU.
A similar change occurred in the Gulf countries. Against the backdrop of growing demand for oil in Asia, China's role in the trade of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait strengthened. In Russia, the pivot of trade to the East accelerated following the imposition of Western sanctions in 2022.
The US and the EU have maintained strong positions in regions close to them. The US leads in trade with Canada, Mexico, Central America, and most Caribbean nations. Meanwhile, the EU retains dominance in many non-EU European countries, as well as a number of North and West African states.
China's foreign merchandise trade reached $6.4 trillion in 2025, up from $470 billion in 2000. This represents an almost 14-fold growth. Over the same period, EU trade increased 3.4-fold, and US trade grew 2.9-fold.