GreenergyDaily

Mar. 7, 2025

1. The value of sales abroad rose 2.3% in the first two months of the year to $540 billion, according to a statement from the General Administration of Customs on Friday. Imports unexpectedly fell 8.4%, leaving a record trade surplus of nearly $171 billion.

2. Crude oil imports fell 5% on-year in January and February to 83.85 million tons as buyers had to scout for alternative supplies after the US tightened sanctions on Russian and Iranian cargoes.

3. Faltering industrial demand and a mild winter curbed China’s appetite for power and heating fuels. Natural gas imports fell 7.7%, and while coal imports rose 2.1%, they were much lower than the peaks hit in the second half of last year.

4. China's exports of rare earths declined by 3%, while imports tumbled 24.1% to 16,922.2 tons.

5. Exports to the US rose to almost $76 billion, the largest in three years for the first two months of the year. The latest pickup in Chinese shipments to the US shows how the threat of tariffs is pushing companies in both nations to attempt to get goods into America before the Trump administration increases their costs even further.