China vs United States: Merchandise exports
Merchandise exports over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 3.77 trillion current US$ against 2.19 trillion current US$ in United States, a difference of 1.59 trillion current US$.
That makes China's figure about 1.7 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was United States ahead.
China ranks 1st and United States ranks 2nd of 206 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and United States in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.31 billion current US$ | 26.73 billion current US$ | 24.42 billion current US$ | United States |
| 1970s | 6.75 billion current US$ | 98.73 billion current US$ | 91.98 billion current US$ | United States |
| 1980s | 30.86 billion current US$ | 249.67 billion current US$ | 218.81 billion current US$ | United States |
| 1990s | 129.30 billion current US$ | 551.78 billion current US$ | 422.49 billion current US$ | United States |
| 2000s | 745.61 billion current US$ | 916.25 billion current US$ | 170.64 billion current US$ | United States |
| 2010s | 2.17 trillion current US$ | 1.53 trillion current US$ | 638.29 billion current US$ | China |
| 2020s | 3.36 trillion current US$ | 1.92 trillion current US$ | 1.44 trillion current US$ | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher merchandise exports, China or United States?
- China, at 3.77 trillion current US$ against 2.19 trillion current US$ in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in merchandise exports between China and United States?
- 1.59 trillion current US$, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do China and United States rank globally for merchandise exports?
- China ranks 1st and United States ranks 2nd of 206 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Trade Organization (WTO), published as Merchandise exports (current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Merchandise exports includes goods whose economic ownership is changed from a resident to a non-resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.