China is the world’s top exporter, accounting for 14.6% of global merchandise exports in 2024, the highest overall. The United States is in second place among the top 10 exporting countries, followed by Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, and Italy.
Despite Trump’s tariff pressure, China has deepened trade ties across Southeast Asia and Europe by 2025. Yet China, whose manufacturing sector is compelling and diverse, is strengthening its position as a global trading power while America is increasingly trying to move toward becoming more self-sufficient.
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The United States, the world’s largest economy, is the second-largest exporter globally, exporting $2.1 trillion last year. According to Visual Capitalist, between January and July 2025, two neighbors, Canada and Mexico, accounted for roughly 30% of American export demand.
Hong Kong SAR and France each saw double-digit export growth, while Germany’s exports contracted. In third place was Germany, Europe’s largest economy, with exports falling 1% over the year to $1.7 trillion, while the Netherlands, known as a major logistics and trade hub, followed with exports of $921 billion.