China’s Long-Term Impact on Global Trade and the Reconfiguration of the World Economy
China’s rise from a minor exporter to the centre of global manufacturing redefined trade flows, reshaped supply chains and forced the global economy to evolve.
China’s rise from a minor exporter to the centre of global manufacturing redefined trade flows, reshaped supply chains and forced the global economy to evolve.
Merchandise trade reaches USD 26 trillion in 2025, while the top 20 exporters account for 70% of global exports.
Machinery dominated exports and imports, reflecting China’s role across the electronics value chain; gold and high-value inputs drove import swings.
Private firms now dominate China’s exports, while trade growth has structurally moderated.
A small group of highly specialised zones anchors China’s trade machine.
Broad-based growth across partners and sectors, led by machinery and transport equipment, signals renewed strength in China’s export engine.
Asia's scale, speed and integration are no longer concentrated in a single core, but spread across multiple, complementary engines.
Global lithium output is expanding in Australia and Chile, but China dominates processing and battery exports, capturing most of the downstream value.
Diverging energy import dependence across Asia is enabling more targeted investment across the region.
Manufacturing scale, strong export growth and deepening services trade are repositioning Türkiye as a cost-competitive supply base for Europe.