China Imports Jump 28% on Strong Commodity and AI Demand

2026-09-08 02:59 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

China’s imports rose 28.2% year-on-year to $282.36 billion in August 2026, slightly below the 30% forecast but accelerating from July’s 27.6% increase, as strong commodity demand and the global AI infrastructure buildout boosted trade across Asia.

Crude oil imports rose 6.2% from July to 37.9 million tons, while natural gas imports dipped as war-driven price increases weighed on seaborne shipments.

Coal imports remained elevated as the Shanxi mine disaster continued to constrain domestic production.

Iron ore imports rose 3.1% year-on-year, while copper concentrate and refined metal purchases fell around 10% amid tight global markets.

Soybean imports slipped 1.1% as tariffs and strained US-China ties limited demand for US cargoes.

Imports from major Asian trading partners surged, rising 108.1% from South Korea, 41.5% from Taiwan, 20.0% from Japan and 35.0% from ASEAN economies.

Purchases from Australia and the US rose 44.6% and 17.8%, respectively.

Imports from the EU edged up 0.7%.



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China Imports Jump 28% on Strong Commodity and AI Demand
China’s imports rose 28.2% year-on-year to $282.36 billion in August 2026, slightly below the 30% forecast but accelerating from July’s 27.6% increase, as strong commodity demand and the global AI infrastructure buildout boosted trade across Asia. Crude oil imports rose 6.2% from July to 37.9 million tons, while natural gas imports dipped as war-driven price increases weighed on seaborne shipments. Coal imports remained elevated as the Shanxi mine disaster continued to constrain domestic production. Iron ore imports rose 3.1% year-on-year, while copper concentrate and refined metal purchases fell around 10% amid tight global markets. Soybean imports slipped 1.1% as tariffs and strained US-China ties limited demand for US cargoes. Imports from major Asian trading partners surged, rising 108.1% from South Korea, 41.5% from Taiwan, 20.0% from Japan and 35.0% from ASEAN economies. Purchases from Australia and the US rose 44.6% and 17.8%, respectively. Imports from the EU edged up 0.7%.
2026-09-08
China Import Growth Slows from Five-Year High
China's imports rose 27.5% year-on-year to USD 285.35 billion in July 2026, broadly in line with market forecasts of 27.9%. The pace eased from June’s 36% surge, the strongest since June 2021, signaling softer domestic demand amid weather and logistics disruptions. At a late-July policy meeting, authorities pledged faster fiscal rollout and timely monetary easing but stopped short of concrete steps to spur household consumption. The latest figures also coincided with renewed U.S.–China trade tensions, as both sides exchanged retaliatory measures ahead of September’s summit. By source, imports increased from South Korea (97.8%), Taiwan (36.6%), Australia (36.8%), ASEAN (36.0%), Japan (29.3%), and the U.S. (15.3%), but slipped from the EU (-1.4%). For January–July, imports grew 26.7% to USD 1.83 trillion. Iron ore imports rose 5.9% during the period, while purchases of natural gas fell 3% and those of crude oil dropped 13.2%.
2026-08-07
China Imports Rise the Most in 5 Years
China’s imports surged 36.0% year-on-year to a record $286.76 billion in June 2026, outpacing forecasts of 24% and marking the fastest growth since June 2021, as soaring chip prices and global demand for AI data center hardware boosted trade across Asia. Easing Middle East tensions and improved supply chains also supported import growth. Natural gas imports rose to a five-month high of 10.93 million tons, and coal shipments jumped 30% after mine safety crackdowns restricted domestic supply. Copper imports rose 3.1%, and iron ore imports climbed 6.4% to the year’s highest, driven by pre-year-end shipments from Australia. Soybean imports increased 11% to a 13-month high on arrivals from both Brazil and the US. Crude oil purchases, however, plunged 41% to the lowest since October 2016, due to the Iran war. Imports grew sharply from South Korea (85.0%), Taiwan (41.1%), Australia (65.8%), ASEAN (26.8%), and Japan (33.9%). In the first half of 2026, imports rose 26.6% to $1.55 trillion.
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