China's direct exports to U.S. decreased while indirect exports - increased

China has released its foreign trade statistics for the first months of 2025. By May, the country's exports to the United States had sharply declined by about a quarter. This was a direct consequence of the trade war that the USA declared to Beijing.

However, experts assess these statistics very ambiguously. The main losers in this war are the States. The fact is that the supply of Chinese goods to the United States has not decreased - they simply arrive there through the third countries. As a result, Americans receive exactly the same goods, but at a significantly higher price. One may assume that this is not what U.S. President Donald Trump wanted when he started the tariff war.