(MENAFN) China’s exports fell in October for the first time since March 2024, pressured by escalating uncertainty over tariff disputes with the United States and broader economic tensions, according to official data released Friday.

Exports dropped 1.1% year-on-year to $305.3 billion, while imports rose 1% to $215.2 billion, leaving a trade surplus of $90.07 billion for the month, as reported by China’s General Administration of Customs.

The decline follows a strong performance in September, when exports surged 8.3% and imports increased 7.4%, fueled by accelerated pre-orders amid concerns that US-China tariff negotiations might fail.

China’s shipments to the United States continued their sharp fall, dropping 25.2% compared with a year earlier. This extends steep declines observed in previous months, including 21.7% in July, 33.1% in August, and 27% in September.

Tensions heightened in October after Beijing imposed new restrictions on the export of rare earth elements, a sector where China dominates global supply. In response, US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods starting Nov. 1 and to halt exports of critical software to China.

Although a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Oct. 30 in Busan, South Korea, temporarily eased tensions with positive public statements, both sides postponed decisions on the core economic issues at the center of the dispute.

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