Gitnux/Report 2026

Us-China Trade Statistics

A single snapshot of US China trade reveals how quickly leverage turns into cost. With a $536.8 billion US goods deficit in 2021, 39.2% of tariff lines hit by Chinese retaliation by 2020, and $1.1 trillion of US imports affected by Section 301 tariffs as of 2021, the page connects sector shocks from semiconductors to rare earths to the financial and investment ripples that followed.
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Us-China Trade Statistics
Catherine WuWritten by Catherine Wu·Edited by Margot Villeneuve·Fact-checked by Astrid Bergmann
Last verified Jun 21, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
01Source

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Verify

Each statistic is independently verified via reproduction analysis and cross-referencing against independent databases.

03Grade

Figures are graded by cross-model consensus. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited.

04Cite

Every figure carries a primary source. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates so the report can be cited.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Next review Dec 2026
US goods imports from China reached 536.8 billion USD. The bilateral goods deficit stood at 355.5 billion USD. Tariffs reduced Chinese imports from the US by 16.2 percent.

Key Takeaways

  • 16% of US crude oil exports went to China in 2021
  • 1.7 million Chinese tourists visited the US in 2019
  • 28.7% of US civilian aircraft exports went to China in 2021
  • 1.3 billion USD was the value of US solar panel imports from China in 2020
  • 8.6 billion USD was the value of US exports of semiconductors to China in 2021
  • –$355.5 billion US bilateral goods deficit with China in 2021
  • 4.3% of US GDP was the US-China trade deficit in 2021
  • 536.8 billion USD was the value of US goods imports from China in 2022
  • $12.1 billion US royalties and license fees from China in 2020
  • $38.6 billion US foreign direct investment in China in 2020
  • 49.7% decline in Chinese FDI in US from 2016 to 2021
  • 39.2% of US tariff line items faced retaliatory duties from China by 2020
  • 7.5% tariff on $300 billion of Chinese goods imposed by US in 2020
  • $1.1 trillion value of US imports from China affected by Section 301 tariffs as of 2021
  • 68% of US rare earths imports from China in 2020

Despite a huge US goods deficit, tariffs cut trade and China remains a major buyer of US energy and key exports.

Related reading

01 · Category

Trade Volume4 stats

01
16% of US crude oil exports went to China in 2021
02
1.7 million Chinese tourists visited the US in 2019
03
28.7% of US civilian aircraft exports went to China in 2021
04
$8.5 billion US cotton exports to China in 2021

02 · Category

Sectoral Impact2 stats

01
1.3 billion USD was the value of US solar panel imports from China in 2020
02
8.6 billion USD was the value of US exports of semiconductors to China in 2021
Interpretation

Sectoral Impact Interpretation

The sectoral impact of US China trade reveals a stark imbalance, as the 8.6 billion dollars in US semiconductor exports to China in 2021 significantly outweighed the 1.3 billion dollars in Chinese solar panel imports to the US in 2020, pointing to American dominance in high value technology trade.

03 · Category

Trade Balance3 stats

01
–$355.5 billion US bilateral goods deficit with China in 2021
02
4.3% of US GDP was the US-China trade deficit in 2021
03
536.8 billion USD was the value of US goods imports from China in 2022
Interpretation

Trade Balance Interpretation

The US trade deficit with China reached a staggering $355.5 billion in 2021, representing 4.3 percent of the entire US economy.

04 · Category

Investment & Finance6 stats

01
$12.1 billion US royalties and license fees from China in 2020
02
$38.6 billion US foreign direct investment in China in 2020
03
49.7% decline in Chinese FDI in US from 2016 to 2021
04
15.7% of foreign-held US Treasury securities are owned by China
05
$235 billion US holdings of Chinese stocks and bonds in 2021
06
1.2 trillion USD was the total value of US and Chinese holdings of each other's securities in 2021
Interpretation

Investment & Finance Interpretation

While the United States and China held a combined 1.2 trillion dollars in each other's securities in 2021, Chinese foreign direct investment in America dropped 49.7 percent from 2016, underscoring a deepening asymmetry in the investment and finance ties.

More related reading

05 · Category

Tariffs & Policy8 stats

01
39.2% of US tariff line items faced retaliatory duties from China by 2020
02
7.5% tariff on $300 billion of Chinese goods imposed by US in 2020
03
$1.1 trillion value of US imports from China affected by Section 301 tariffs as of 2021
04
16.2% reduction in Chinese imports from US due to tariffs by 2021
05
25% tariff was imposed by the US on $250 billion of Chinese imports in 2018-2019
06
39.2% of US tariff line items faced retaliatory tariffs from China by 2020
07
16.2% reduction in Chinese imports from the US due to tariffs by 2021
08
108 billion USD was the estimated cumulative loss to US companies from the trade war by 2020
Interpretation

Tariffs & Policy Interpretation

The escalation of tariffs and retaliatory duties, with nearly 40 percent of US tariff lines hit by Chinese countermeasures by 2020, created a costly cycle that reduced Chinese imports from the US by over 16 percent and inflicted an estimated $108 billion in cumulative losses on American companies.

06 · Category

Sector Specific5 stats

01
68% of US rare earths imports from China in 2020
02
34% of US antimony imports came from China in 2021
03
12.6% of US medical equipment imports came from China in 2020
04
55% of US furniture imports come from China
05
34% of US commercial aircraft deliveries went to China in 2019
Interpretation

Sector Specific Interpretation

The 68% share of US rare earths imports from China in 2020 underscores a critical sector specific vulnerability, as these materials are essential for high tech manufacturing and defense.

07 · Category

Sector Specific Trade4 stats

01
8.6 billion USD was the value of US semiconductor exports to China in 2022
02
1.3 billion USD was the value of US solar panel imports from China in 2021
03
12.6% of US medical equipment imports came from China in 2021
04
55% of US furniture imports came from China in 2022
Interpretation

Sector Specific Trade Interpretation

The most striking sector specific trend is that over half of all US furniture imports came from China in 2022, highlighting a deep reliance on Chinese manufacturing in that industry.

08 · Category

Commodities & Resources3 stats

01
34% of US antimony imports came from China in 2022
02
16% of US crude oil exports went to China in 2022
03
20.4% of US soybean exports went to China in 2022
Interpretation

Commodities & Resources Interpretation

China supplied over a third of US antimony imports in 2022, underscoring a critical resource dependency within the commodities and resources trade relationship.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). Us-China Trade Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/us-china-trade-statistics
MLA
Catherine Wu. "Us-China Trade Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/us-china-trade-statistics.
Chicago
Catherine Wu. 2026. "Us-China Trade Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/us-china-trade-statistics.

Sources & references

35 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

eia.govsemiconductors.orgcensus.govtrade.govbis.doc.govapps.fas.usda.govbea.govcbpp.orgwto.orgustr.govcbo.govnber.orgusgs.govmedtechdive.comstatista.comrhg.comticdata.treasury.govboeing.comcrsreports.congress.govpiie.comimf.org

+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)