China's Export Reliance on the U.S. Falls Sharply, Mirroring U.S. Import Shift Away from China

The U.S. share of China’s exports rose from 14% in 1985 to a peak of 42% in 1999 but has steadily declined since 2000. By 2016–2018, it had dropped to 22%, and following the U.S.-China trade war, it reached a four-decade low of 13% in 2023. This decline reflects both the impact of the trade war, which began in 2018, and China's rapid growth as a global export leader, enabling diversification into other markets.

Similarly, China’s share of U.S. imports grew from 1.1% in 1985 to a peak of 22% in 2017. However, the trade war and shifting supply chains caused this share to decrease to 14% in 2023, marking a significant rebalancing in bilateral trade dynamics.