In Graphics | How China leapfrogged the US to become the world's leading trade power

For decades, the United States was the undisputed king of global trade.

In the year 2000, total US trade was valued at $2 trillion (Rs 180.24 lakh crore), while China’s total trade was around $474 billion (Rs 42.73 lakh crore). However, Beijing has now leapfrogged Washington as the world’s pre-eminent trading power.

As of 2024, China’s total trade with the world is estimated at $6.2 trillion (Rs 558.74 lakh crore), while the US’ total trade is valued at $5.3 trillion (Rs 477.64 lakh crore).

Beijing has become the largest trading partner for most countries across Asia, Africa, and South America. According to experts, while tariff and geopolitical tensions may have intensified the shift, this takeover was long in the making.

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But how did China reshape the landscape in a little over two decades? How did Beijing emerge as both a dominant exporter and a heavyweight importer?

Let’s take a closer look at how the global trade crown changed hands: