In 2025, the United States had the largest economy in the world, with a gross domestic product of over 30 trillion U.S. dollars. China had the second largest economy, at around 19.23 trillion U.S. dollars. Recent adjustments in the list have seen Germany's economy overtake Japan's to become the third-largest in the world in 2023, while Brazil's economy moved ahead of Russia's in 2024. Global gross domestic product Global gross domestic product amounts to almost 110 trillion U.S. dollars, with the United States making up more than one-quarter of this figure alone. The 12 largest economies in the world include all Group of Seven (G7) economies, as well as the four largest BRICS economies. The U.S. has consistently had the world's largest economy since the interwar period, and while previous reports estimated it would be overtaken by China in the 2020s, more recent projections estimate the U.S. economy will remain the largest by a considerable margin going into the 2030s.The gross domestic product of a country is calculated by taking spending and trade into account, to show how much the country can produce in a certain amount of time, usually per year. It represents the value of all goods and services produced during that year. Those countries considered to have emerging or developing economies account for almost 60 percent of global gross domestic product, while advanced economies make up over 40 percent.

China Imports from United States was US$164.59 Billion during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. China Imports from United States - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on December of 2025.

Between 2005 and 2020, the GDP of China grew from 2.3 trillion to 14.9 trillion U.S. dollars. During the same time period the GDP of the United States grew from 13 trillion to 20.8 trillion dollars. It is estimated that, by 2030, China will overtake the U.S. as the world's largest economy, with a GDP of 33.7 trillion dollars, compared to 30.5 trillion dollars; this margin of more than three trillion is predicted to increase to almost 13 trillion over the subsequent five year period.

Description

This dataset provides monthly economic indicators examining the relationship between US protectionist trade policies and Chinese economic growth from May 2022 to May 2025. The dataset can be used for academic research, statistical analysis, and educational purposes in international economics and trade policy studies.

Context

The dataset captures the economic dynamics during a period of heightened trade tensions between the United States and China. It includes comprehensive indicators of US protectionist measures and their potential impact on various dimensions of Chinese economic performance.

Dataset Structure

Time Period: May 2022 - May 2025 Frequency: Monthly Total Observations: 1127 Total Variables: 14

Column Descriptions

Date

• Type: Categorical (YYYY-MM format)
• Description: Month and year of observation

US Protectionism Indicators

US_Tariff_Index

• Type: Continuous
• Range: 100-120
• Description: Tariff rate index where 100 represents the baseline. Higher values indicate increased protectionist measures.

US_Trade_Restrictions

• Type: Discrete
• Range: 5-15
• Description: Number of new trade restrictions implemented per month, including tariffs, quotas, and non-tariff barriers.

US_AntiDumping_Cases

• Type: Discrete
• Range: 0-12
• Description: Number of anti-dumping cases filed against Chinese products per month.

US_Trade_Policy_Uncertainty

-Type: Continuous - Range: 90-160 - Description: Index measuring uncertainty in trade policy (0-200 scale). Higher values indicate greater uncertainty.

Chinese Growth Indicators

China_GDP_Growth_YoY

• Type: Continuous
• Unit: Percentage (%)
• Range: 3.5-5.5%
• Description: Year-over-year GDP growth rate for China.

China_Industrial_Production_YoY

• Type: Continuous
• Unit: Percentage (%)
• Range: 2.5-5.0%
• Description: Year-over-year change in industrial production output.

China_Exports_Growth_YoY

• Type: Continuous
• Unit: Percentage (%)
• Range: 0-15%
• Description: Year-over-year growth rate of Chinese exports.

China_Manufacturing_PMI

• Type: Continuous
• Range: 47-52
• Description: Purchasing Managers' Index for manufacturing sector. Values >50 indicate expansion, <50 indicate contraction.

China_FDI_Inflow_USD_Billion

• Type: Continuous
• Unit: Billion USD
• Range: 7-15
• Description: Monthly foreign direct investment inflows into China.

Bilateral Trade Indicators

US_China_Trade_Volume_USD_Billion

• Type: Continuous
• Unit: Billion USD
• Range: 40-60
• Description: Total monthly bilateral trade volume between US and China.

US_Trade_Deficit_China_USD_Billion

• Type: Continuous
• Unit: Billion USD
• Range: -32 to -24
• Description: US trade deficit with China. Negative values indicate deficit.

Additional Economic Indicators

USD_CNY_Exchange_Rate

• Type: Continuous
• Range: 6.7-7.3
• Description: Exchange rate expressing yuan per US dollar.

China_Stock_Index

• Type: Continuous
• Range: 2,800-3,500
• Description: Shanghai Composite Stock Index (normalized).

China Exports to United States was US$525.65 Billion during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. China Exports to United States - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on November of 2025.

How the Chinese Economy Works

The Chinese economy is the second largest in the world, after the United States. It is a mixed economy, with elements of both capitalism and socialism. The government plays a significant role in the economy, but there is also a growing private sector.

Agriculture

Agriculture is a major sector of the Chinese economy, employing about 25% of the workforce. China is a major producer of rice, wheat, corn, soybeans, and cotton. The country is also a leading producer of fruits, vegetables, and livestock.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the largest sector of the Chinese economy, accounting for about 40% of GDP. China is a major producer of a wide range of goods, including electronics, textiles, apparel, and machinery. The country is also a major exporter of manufactured goods.

Services

Services are the third largest sector of the Chinese economy, accounting for about 45% of GDP. This sector includes a wide range of activities, such as finance, transportation, real estate, and tourism.

Government

The government plays a significant role in the Chinese economy. The government owns and operates many state-owned enterprises, which are important players in the economy. The government also regulates the economy through a variety of policies, such as tariffs, subsidies, and taxes.

Private Sector

The private sector is growing in importance in the Chinese economy. Private companies are playing an increasing role in manufacturing, services, and other sectors. The government is encouraging the growth of the private sector by reducing regulations and providing support for small businesses.

Challenges

The Chinese economy faces a number of challenges, including:

Inequality: The gap between the rich and the poor is growing in China. Environmental degradation: China is facing serious environmental problems, such as air pollution and water pollution. Political stability: The Chinese government is facing increasing challenges to its authority. Outlook

The Chinese economy is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. However, the growth is likely to slow down as the country faces the challenges mentioned above.

Conclusion

The Chinese economy is a complex and dynamic system. It is a mix of capitalism and socialism, with a significant role for the government. The economy is growing rapidly, but it also faces a number of challenges.

Graph and download economic data for U.S. Imports of Goods by Customs Basis from China (IMPCH) from Jan 1985 to Aug 2025 about China, imports, goods, and USA.

In 2024, the gross domestic product (GDP) of China amounted to around 18.7 trillion U.S. dollars. In comparison to the GDP of the other BRIC countries India, Russia and Brazil, China came first that year and second in the world GDP ranking. The stagnation of China's GDP in U.S. dollar terms in 2022 and 2023 was mainly due to the appreciation of the U.S. dollar. China's real GDP growth was 5.4 percent in 2023 and 5.0 percent in 2024. In 2024, per capita GDP in China reached around 13,300 U.S. dollars. Economic performance in China Gross domestic product (GDP) is a primary economic indicator. It measures the total value of all goods and services produced in an economy over a certain time period. China's economy used to grow quickly in the past, but the growth rate of China’s real GDP gradually slowed down in recent years, and year-on-year GDP growth is forecasted to range at only around four percent in the years after 2024. Since 2010, China has been the world’s second-largest economy, surpassing Japan.China’s emergence in the world’s economy has a lot to do with its status as the ‘world’s factory’. Since 2013, China is the largest export country in the world. Some argue that it is partly due to the undervalued Chinese currency. The Big Mac Index, a simplified and informal way to measure the purchasing power parity between different currencies, indicates that the Chinese currency yuan was roughly undervalued by 38 percent in 2024. GDP development Although the impressive economic development in China has led millions of people out of poverty, China is still not in the league of industrialized countries on the per capita basis. To name one example, the U.S. per capita economic output was more than six times as large as in China in 2024. Meanwhile, the Chinese society faces increased income disparities. The Gini coefficient of China, a widely used indicator of economic inequality, has been larger than 0.45 over the last decade, whereas 0.40 is the warning level for social unrest.

Key information about China Total Imports from USA

• China Total Imports from USA recorded 10.156 USD bn in Oct 2025, compared with 11.485 USD bn in the previous month
• China Total Imports from USA data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1981 to Oct 2025, with an averaged value of 2.887 USD bn
• The data reached an all-time high of 18.671 USD bn in Jan 2022 and a record low of 139.302 USD mn in Jul 1983

CEIC extends history for monthly Total Imports from USA. General Administration of Customs provides Total Imports from USA, CIF, in USD. According to the Customs: 'Since 2020, the Customs will no longer release separate trade data for January and February.' Data in February are the cumulative figures of January and February. Total Imports from USA prior to January 1993 is sourced from the International Monetary Fund.

According to preliminary data, the agricultural sector contributed around 6.8 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP) of China in 2024, whereas 36.5 percent of the economic value added originated from the industrial sector and 54.6 percent from the service sector, respectively. The total GDP of China at current prices amounted to approximately 134.91 trillion yuan in 2024. Economic development in China The gross domestic product (GDP) serves as a primary indicator to measure the economic performance of a country or a region. It is generally defined as the monetary value of all finished goods and services produced within a country in a specific period of time. It includes all of private and public spending, government spending, investments, and net exports which are calculated as total exports minus imports. In other words, GDP represents the size of the economy.With its national economy growing at an exceptional annual growth rate of above nine percent for three decades in succession, China had become the worlds’ second largest economy by 2010, surpassing all other economies but the United States. Even though China's GDP growth has cooled down in recent years, its economy still expanded at roughly two times the pace of the United States in 2024. Breakdown of GDP in China When compared to other developed countries, the proportions of agriculture and industry in China's GDP are significantly higher. Even though agriculture is a major industry in the United States, it only accounted for about one percent of the economy in 2023. While the service sector contributed to more than 70 percent of the economy in most developed countries, it's share was considerably lower in China. This was not only due to China's lower development level, but also to the country’s focus on manufacturing and export. However, as the future limitations of this growth model become more and more apparent, China is trying to shift it's economic focus to the high-tech and service sectors. Accordingly, growth rates of the service sector have been considerably higher than in industry and agriculture in the years before the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

United States Imports from China was US$462.62 Billion during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from China - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on December of 2025.

In 2024, Chinese exports of trade goods to the United States amounted to about 438.95 billion U.S. dollars; a significant increase from 1985 levels, when imports from China amounted to about 3.86 billion U.S. dollars. U.S. exports to China Compared to U.S. imports from China, the value of U.S. exports to China in 2020 amounted to 427.23billion U.S. dollars. China is the United States’ largest trading partner, while China was the United States third largest goods export market. Some of the leading exports to China in the agricultural sector included soybeans, cotton, and pork products. Texas was the leading state that exported to China in 2020 based on total value of goods exports, at 16.9 billion U.S. dollars. U.S. - China trade war The trade war between the United States and China is an economic conflict between two of the world’s largest national economies. It started in 2018 when U.S. President Donald Trump started putting tariffs and trade barriers on China, with the intent to get China to conform to Trump’s wishes. President Trump claimed that China has unfair trade businesses. As a result of this trade war, it has caused a lot of tension between the U.S. and China. Nearly half of American companies impacted by the U.S.-China trade tariffs said that the trade war increased their cost of manufacturing. The healthcare product industry has suffered the most from the trade war in regards to reduced profits.

Graph and download economic data for U.S. Exports of Goods by F.A.S. Basis to Mainland China (EXPCH) from Jan 1985 to Aug 2025 about China, exports, goods, and USA.

Key information about United States Total Exports to China

• United States Total Exports to China recorded 8.632 USD bn in Aug 2025, compared with 10.043 USD bn in the previous month
• US Total Exports to China data is updated monthly, available from Jan 2009 to Aug 2025, with an averaged value of 10.526 USD bn
• The data reached an all-time high of 14.914 USD bn in Jan 2021 and a record low of 4.530 USD bn in Jan 2009

The U.S. Census Bureau provides monthly Total Exports to China, FAS, in USD.

Key information about United States Total Imports from China

• United States Total Imports from China recorded 24.002 USD bn in Aug 2025, compared with 24.743 USD bn in the previous month
• United States Total Imports from China data is updated monthly, available from Jan 2009 to Aug 2025, with an averaged value of 42.056 USD bn
• The data reached an all-time high of 57.013 USD bn in Mar 2022 and a record low of 19.440 USD bn in Jun 2025

The U.S. Census Bureau provides monthly Total Imports from China, Customs Value, in USD.

According to preliminary figures, the growth of real gross domestic product (GDP) in China amounted to 5.0 percent in 2024. For 2025, the IMF expects a GDP growth rate of around 4.8 percent. Real GDP growth The current gross domestic product is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. It refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. When analyzing year-on-year changes, the current GDP is adjusted for inflation, thus making it constant. Real GDP growth is regarded as a key indicator for economic growth as it incorporates constant GDP figures. As of 2024, China was among the leading countries with the largest gross domestic product worldwide, second only to the United States which had a GDP volume of almost 29.2 trillion U.S. dollars. The Chinese GDP has shown remarkable growth over the past years. Upon closer examination of the distribution of GDP across economic sectors, a gradual shift from an economy heavily based on industrial production towards an economy focused on services becomes visible, with the service industry outpacing the manufacturing sector in terms of GDP contribution. Key indicator balance of trade Another important indicator for economic assessment is the balance of trade, which measures the relationship between imports and exports of a nation. As an economy heavily reliant on manufacturing and industrial production, China has reached a trade surplus over the last decade, with a total trade balance of around 992 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.

Graph and download economic data for Purchasing Power Parity Converted GDP Per Capita Relative to the United States, average GEKS-CPDW, at current prices for China (PGD2USCNA621NUPN) from 1952 to 2010 about PPP, China, per capita, and GDP.

United States Exports to China was US$143.55 Billion during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Exports to China - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on December of 2025.

China's share of imports in gross domestic product (GDP) was about **** percent in 2024. The total gross domestic product amounted to approximately *** trillion yuan that year. Import development in China Trade is essential to modern economies. The imports-to-GDP ratio measures a country’s openness to inward trade. One similar indicator is the trade-to-GDP-ratio, which is the sum of exports and imports divided by GDP. It is used to measure a country’s integration in the world economy. As of 2023, China was the second largest merchandise importing nation worldwide, only next to the United States. China’s imports of goods had nearly doubled over the last decade. In 2010, the import value stood at around *** trillion U.S. dollars, whereas in 2024, China brought forth approximately *** trillion U.S. dollars worth of imported commodities, its main import goods being *******************, *********, and iron ore. Meanwhile, the monetary value of services imported to China, although much lower than merchandise imports, also increased steadily. Where does China import from? In 2024, ASEAN was the leading import partner for China, with imports amounting to approximately **** trillion yuan. The European Union was the second largest import source providing nearly *** trillion yuan worth of goods to China. In 2023, the European Union imported around *** billion euros worth of merchandise from China, resulting in a trade deficit of roughly *** billion euros. Trade deficits were most significant in sectors such as *********, ******************* and apparel manufacturing.

United States Steel Product Imports: Volume: PRC: China data was reported at 37,144.000 Metric Ton in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 48,428.000 Metric Ton for Aug 2018. United States Steel Product Imports: Volume: PRC: China data is updated monthly, averaging 90,503.000 Metric Ton from Nov 1997 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 251 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 660,014.000 Metric Ton in Oct 2008 and a record low of 5,325.000 Metric Ton in Mar 1999. United States Steel Product Imports: Volume: PRC: China data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.WA013: Steel Products Imports: By Country: Volume.