中金：分行业看贸易盈余

Core Viewpoint - China's merchandise trade surplus continues to rise, while the service trade remains in deficit, with the current account to GDP ratio below 3.5% as of September this year, indicating that external imbalances are not very significant [2] Trade Surplus and Economic Structure - The trade surplus is driven by a downward financial cycle that reallocates resources towards high-efficiency high-end manufacturing, accelerated technological advancements, and a decline in non-trade goods prices due to real estate adjustments, which lowers the intermediate input costs for trade goods and boosts exports [2] - Private sector deleveraging has suppressed demand, leading to a slowdown in imports, while manufacturing upgrades have increased domestic production capabilities, further reducing imports [2] Trade Data Overview - For the period of January to November 2025, China's customs-based merchandise trade surplus reached a record high of $1,075.8 billion, with a year-on-year growth rate of 21% [3] - Exports during this period amounted to $3,414.7 billion, an increase of $174.6 billion year-on-year, with a growth rate of 5.4%, while imports decreased to $2,338.8 billion, a decline of $13 billion year-on-year, with a growth rate of -0.6% [3] - The trade surplus as a percentage of GDP for the rolling 12 months ending September 2025 was 6.0%, up 1.3 percentage points year-on-year, with exports contributing 0.6 percentage points and imports contributing 0.7 percentage points to this increase [3] Regional Trade Surplus - The main regions contributing to China's merchandise trade surplus from January to November 2025 include Hong Kong ($273.2 billion), the EU ($266.9 billion), the US ($257.0 billion), and ASEAN ($246.1 billion) [4] - Conversely, trade deficits were recorded with Taiwan (-$133.4 billion), Australia (-$47.7 billion), South Korea (-$37.3 billion), Russia (-$19.5 billion), and Japan (-$4.3 billion) [4] Product-Specific Trade Surplus - The primary products contributing to China's merchandise trade surplus from January to November 2025 include electrical equipment (HS85) at $352.7 billion, machinery (HS84) at $320.7 billion, vehicles and parts (HS87) at $182.9 billion, furniture (HS94) at $104.4 billion, and uncategorized goods (HS98) at $97.4 billion [5] - In contrast, significant trade deficits were observed in mineral fuels (HS27) at -$354.4 billion, minerals (HS26) at -$239.5 billion, jewelry (HS71) at -$64.0 billion, copper and its products (HS74) at -$50.5 billion, and nuts (HS12) at -$49.4 billion [5] Economic Indicators and Trends - The real estate sector shows signs of recovery, with the China Real Estate Prosperity Index rising to 95.4, driven by improvements in sales and financing indices [6] - The demand for new and second-hand homes has seen a narrowing decline compared to 2019, indicating a potential stabilization in the housing market [6][7] - The wholesale price index for essential products has shown a slight decrease, while the retail sales of major appliances and passenger vehicles have experienced significant year-on-year declines [8]