Business & Finance

China's trade surplus reaches $938 billion as September exports surge 36.3%

China's customs agency reported September imports rose 31% and the monthly surplus widened to $133.5 billion.

Updated Oct 14, 2026 · 10:15 UTC3 reports

The short version

China's customs agency said September exports rose 36.3% from a year earlier.[Associated Press · ABC News]
The January-September trade surplus reached $938 billion, with expectations it could surpass last year's $1.2 trillion record.[Associated Press · ABC News]
September imports rose 31%, and the monthly trade surplus widened to $133.5 billion.[Associated Press · ABC News]
The IMF cut its 2026 China growth forecast to 4.5%, saying exports cannot fully offset domestic weaknesses.[Associated Press · ABC News]

China's customs agency reported that September exports rose 36.3% year on year.[Associated Press · ABC News]
China's trade surplus for the first nine months of 2026 reached $938 billion.[Associated Press · ABC News]
China's September trade surplus was $133.5 billion, up from $119.1 billion in August.[Associated Press · ABC News]
September imports rose 31% year on year, up from a 28.2% rise in August.[Associated Press · ABC News]
China has said it has no need or intent to gain competitive advantage through currency devaluation.[Associated Press · ABC News]
The IMF lowered its 2026 China growth forecast to 4.5%, down 0.1 percentage point.[Associated Press · ABC News]

Whether the surplus will surpass last year's $1.2 trillion record is only an expectation that reporting describes as growing, not a confirmed outcome.[Associated Press · ABC News]
China's denial of currency-driven competitiveness is its own position, and the reporting does not independently test it.[Associated Press · ABC News]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.