China's Trade Dominance: From US Shadow to Global Leader by 2025

• China surpassed the US as the world's largest trading power in 2013, a gap that significantly widened by 2025.
• The 2008 Global Financial Crisis allowed China to recover rapidly with stimulus packages, while the US and Europe faced slow growth.
• By 2025, China's total trade reached $6.2 trillion, with exports accounting for 14-15% of global merchandise, compared to the US's 10-11%.
• China's manufacturing capacity, low costs, robust supply chains, and infrastructure investments (like Belt and Road) fueled its rise.
• US tariffs and de-globalization policies during the Trump era, coupled with its service-based economy, weakened its trade position.

Why It Matters: China transformed from a supporting player to the world's largest trade power, surpassing the US by 2013.