China Calls for Strait of Hormuz to Remain Open

Beijing signaled during the U.S.-China summit that China wants the Strait of Hormuz to remain open without restrictions, tolls, or military control, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said. Speaking to Bloomberg TV, Greer stated: “It’s really important for China to have the Strait of Hormuz open, no tolling, no military control.” He added that Washington views China as acting “very pragmatic” regarding Iran and believes Beijing does not want to be “on the wrong side of this.” Greer also said both China and the U.S. want peace in the region, expressing confidence that Beijing would help limit military support for Iran amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

China’s trade surplus narrowed to $84.82 billion in April 2026 from $95.85 billion in the same period of 2025, but surpassed market expectations of $83.3 billion. Export growth accelerated sharply to 14.1%, reaching a record high of $359.44 billion, up from March’s 2.5% rise and much faster than forecasts of 7.9%, due to seasonal factors, as companies rushed to stockpile components from the manufacturing powerhouse amid fears that the Iran war could push input costs even higher. Meanwhile, imports surged 25.3% year-on-year to $274.62 billion, above expectations of 15.2% and marking the second consecutive month of record-high imports, though slightly lower than the 27.8% jump in the previous month. The trade surplus with the US stood at $23.07 billion in April. For the first four months of 2026, China’s trade surplus reached $347.70 billion, down from $368.8 billion in the same period of 2025, with exports rising 14.5% while imports grew at a faster 23.6%.

China’s trade surplus narrowed to $51.13 billion in March 2026, the smallest since February 2025 and well below market expectations of $112 billion. Export growth slowed sharply to 2.5%, down from February’s 39.6% surge and missing forecasts of 8.3%, due to seasonal factors, including a delayed Lunar New Year, and a high base effect from March 2025’s tariff-driven export boom, rather than weakening global demand. Meanwhile, imports soared 27.8% year-on-year to a record $269.90 billion, the steepest rise since November 2021, surpassing expectations of 11.1%. This surge reflects China’s push to secure resources amid supply chain disruptions and elevated costs tied to the Iran conflict, as well as a jump in high-tech purchases like semiconductors. The trade surplus with the US stood at $16.8 billion in March. For Q1 2026, China’s trade surplus reached $264.75 billion, down from $271.09 billion in Q1 2025, with exports up 14.7% and imports rising 22.7%.