USA-China Bilateral Trade Analysis 2023

Complete trade statistics: $589.04B total volume โ€ขUSA deficit: $294.45B

USA โ†’ China

$147.30B

Exports (2023)

China โ†’ USA

$441.74B

Imports (2023)

Trade Balance

$294.45B

Deficit for USA

Total Trade

$589.04B

Combined Volume

Trade Flow Visualization

Direct trade relationship between USA and China. Green line shows exports from USA, red line shows imports.

Detailed Product Trade Analysis

Comprehensive breakdown of trade flows by product category, revealing the specialized nature of the USA-China commercial relationship and competitive positioning in global markets.

USA โ†’ China Exports

$147.30B
2023 Total

Export Market Intelligence

Product Diversity:
Highly Diversified
Market Share:
10.3% top product
1Soya beans: other than seed, whether or not broken
$15.19B
10.3% of exports
2Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude
$12.36B
8.4% of exports
3Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, propane
$8.00B
5.4% of exports
4Vehicles: with only spark-ignition internal combustion reciprocating piston engine, cylinder capacity over 1500 but not over 3000cc
$4.79B
3.3% of exports
5Machines and apparatus of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of semiconductor devices or of electronic integrated circuits
$3.47B
2.4% of exports
6Medicaments: consisting of mixed or unmixed products n.e.c. in heading no. 3004, for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, packaged for retail sale
$3.41B
2.3% of exports
7Electronic integrated circuits: processors and controllers, whether or not combined with memories, converters, logic circuits, amplifiers, clock and timing circuits, or other circuits
$3.05B
2.1% of exports
8Aeroplanes and other aircraft: of an unladen weight exceeding 15,000kg
$2.57B
1.7% of exports
9Copper: waste and scrap
$2.22B
1.5% of exports
10Electronic integrated circuits: n.e.c. in heading no. 8542
$2.07B
1.4% of exports

๐ŸŽฏ Strategic Export Focus

USA's export portfolio to China demonstrates strong diversification across multiple sectors, with soya beans: other than seed, whether or not broken representing a key competitive advantage in this bilateral market.

China โ†’ USA Imports

$441.74B
2023 Total

Import Dependency Profile

Supply Diversity:
Well Diversified
Critical Imports:
10.1% concentration
1Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks
$44.42B
10.1% of imports
2Automatic data processing machines: portable, weighing not more than 10kg, consisting of at least a central processing unit, a keyboard and a display
$35.51B
8.0% of imports
3Electric accumulators: lithium-ion, including separators, whether or not rectangular (including square)
$13.31B
3.0% of imports
4Tricycles, scooters, pedal cars and similar wheeled toys: dolls' carriages: dolls: other toys: reduced-size (scale) models and similar recreational models, working or not: puzzles of all kinds
$12.27B
2.8% of imports
5Games: video game consoles and machines, other than those of subheading 9504.30
$8.91B
2.0% of imports
6Communication apparatus (excluding telephone sets or base stations): machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, images or other data, including switching and routing apparatus
$7.94B
1.8% of imports
7Machinery: parts and accessories (other than covers, carrying cases and the like) of the machines of heading no. 8471
$5.82B
1.3% of imports
8Plastics: other articles n.e.c. in chapter 39
$4.48B
1.0% of imports
9Monitors: other than cathode-ray tube: capable of directly connecting to and designed for use with an automatic data processing machine of heading 84.71
$4.44B
1.0% of imports
10Plastics: tableware and kitchenware
$3.45B
0.8% of imports

๐Ÿ“ฆ Import Strategy Analysis

USA's import pattern from China reveals significant dependencyin telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks, highlighting complementary economic structures and potential supply chain optimization opportunities.

Competitive Trade Position Analysis

๐Ÿ†

Market Leadership

USA demonstrates competitive strength in exportingsoya beans: other than seed, whether or not broken to China, leveraging comparative advantages.

Export Leader in 20+ Categories
๐Ÿ”„

Trade Complementarity

The bilateral relationship showsmoderatecomplementarity, with each country specializing in different sectors.

Specialized Exchange
๐Ÿ“ˆ

Growth Potential

The $589.04B trade volume indicates substantial economic integration with room for expansion in emerging sectors.

Major Partnership

Executive Summary: USA-China Trade Relationship

Key Trade Highlights 2023

  • Total Trade Volume: $589.04 billionrepresenting a significant bilateral economic relationship
  • Trade Balance: USA maintains a deficit of $294.45 billion
  • Export Focus: USA's primary exports include soya beans: other than seed, whether or not broken, oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude, petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, propane
  • Import Dependencies: Key imports from China include telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks, automatic data processing machines: portable, weighing not more than 10kg, consisting of at least a central processing unit, a keyboard and a display, electric accumulators: lithium-ion, including separators, whether or not rectangular (including square)

Strategic Trade Indicators

Trade IntensityHigh
Export DiversificationDiversified
Trade Balance HealthImbalanced

๐Ÿ“ˆ Market Position: This bilateral trade relationship represents one of the world's largest trade partnerships, with complementary economic strengths driving sustained commercial exchange.

Historical Trade Analysis & Economic Context

Trade Evolution Timeline

2019-2023: Recent Trends

Current trade volume of $589.04B represents the culmination of evolving bilateral commercial relationships, influenced by global supply chain shifts and changing economic priorities.

2015-2019: Growth Period

Sustained expansion in bilateral trade driven by complementary economic structures, with USA leveraging its comparative advantages in soya beans: other than seed, whether or not broken.

2010-2015: Foundation Building

Establishment of modern trade frameworks and reduction of barriers, facilitating increased commercial exchange and investment flows between the two economies.

Pre-2010: Early Development

Initial stages of bilateral trade relationship development, with focus on traditional export-import patterns and gradual market integration.

Key Economic Drivers

1

Comparative Advantage

USA's specialization in soya beans: other than seed, whether or not brokencomplements China's demand patterns, creating natural trade synergies.

2

Supply Chain Integration

Deep integration in global value chains has strengthened bilateral linkages, particularly in telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks.

3

Market Access & Trade Policy

Favorable trade agreements and market access conditions have facilitated the growth of this $589.04B bilateral relationship.

Trade Pattern Insights

Trade ComplementarityAsymmetric
Seasonal VariationsModerate
Product ConcentrationLow
Market DependencyHigh
๐Ÿ”ฎ

Trade Relationship Outlook

The $589.04B bilateral trade volume positions this relationship for continued growth, supported by technological advancement, evolving consumer preferences, and strengthening economic ties. Key opportunities lie in expanding cooperation in emerging sectors while managing potential supply chain vulnerabilities.

Economic Impact & Strategic Outlook

Economic Impact Assessment

๐Ÿ’ฐ

Trade Volume Impact

The $589.04 billion bilateral trade volume represents a major economic driverfor both economies.

Economic Significance: Critical
๐Ÿญ

Industrial Integration

Trade flows in soya beans: other than seed, whether or not broken and telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks demonstrate deep industrial linkages and supply chain integration.

Supply Chain Integration: Diversified
โš–๏ธ

Trade Balance Effects

USA's trade deficit of $294.45 billion impacts its overall economic position in this bilateral relationship.

Balance Impact: Import Dependency

Strategic Future Outlook

๐Ÿš€Growth Opportunities

Emerging Sectors
Technology transfer and innovation cooperation in oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude present expansion opportunities.
Market Diversification
Beyond current focus on telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks, new product categories offer potential for trade expansion.

โš ๏ธRisk Factors

Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
High trade imbalance may create supply chain risks
Market Competition
Global competition in soya beans: other than seed, whether or not broken may affect future market positioning.

๐ŸŽฏStrategic Recommendations

  • Strengthen cooperation in high-value sectors beyond current trade patterns
  • Develop alternative supply chains to reduce dependency risks
  • Explore joint ventures in emerging technology sectors
  • Enhance trade facilitation and reduce transaction costs

Market Position & Competitive Summary

The bilateral trade relationship between USA and China represents a total trade volume of $589.04 billion in 2023. This partnership demonstrates an unfavorable trade balance for USA, with imports exceeding exportsby $294.45 billion.

Export Strengths

USA's exports to China total $147.30 billion, with competitive advantages in soya beans: other than seed, whether or not broken, representing $15.19B or10.3% of bilateral exports.

Import Dependencies

Imports from China amount to $441.74 billion, highlighting economic interdependence in telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks, with Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks comprising10.1% of total imports.

The trade relationship reflects broader economic patterns and comparative advantages. The trade deficit indicates USA's strategic sourcing from China. This partnership is characterized by complementary trade flows, with each country specializing in different product categories based on their respective economic strengths, industrial capabilities, and position in global value chains.

Download Bilateral Trade Data

Access detailed trade data between USA and China in multiple formats.

Data Source: CEPII BACI (Base pour l'Analyse du Commerce International) โ€ข Last Updated: January 2025 โ€ข Coverage: 1995-2023