China defies Hormuz crisis with record monthly export value in April

AdvertisementChina tradeEconomyEconomic IndicatorsChina defies Hormuz crisis with record monthly export value in April

Export value rose 14.1 per cent year on year, well above market forecasts

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Carol Yangin BeijingPublished: 10:52am, 9 May 2026Updated: 1:08pm, 9 May 2026China’s export sector showed strong resilience last month, with the total value of outbound shipments hitting a monthly record even as the Strait of Hormuz crisis during the US-Israeli war in Iran showed little sign of abating after driving up energy and shipping costs.

The value of China’s exports rose in April by 14.1 per cent, year on year, to US$359.44 billion, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on Saturday. The reading was above the 6.96 per cent growth forecast compiled by financial data provider Wind.

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Meanwhile, the value of imports grew by 25.3 per cent last month to US$274.62 billion, exceeding the Wind poll’s 13.86 per cent growth projection, while the trade surplus stood at US$84.82 billion last month, compared with US$51.1 billion in March.

The conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, which erupted in late February, has led to an effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz for more than two months. This has propelled prices for oil, minerals and freight to multi-year highs, placing immense pressure on global manufacturing hubs.

However, Zhang Zhiwei, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said China’s competitive supply chains had helped offset the impact of the Middle East conflict on export growth in April.

“I expect China’s exports to continue to grow by double digits in the coming months. China’s macro policy stance will likely stay unchanged given the help from exporters,” he said, noting that recent “green shoots” in the property sector were also noteworthy.

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