Hong Kong CNN —In the summer of 2018, when former President Donald Trump launched a trade war with Beijing, the Chinese economy was riding high. There was even talk it could soon overtake the United States as the world’s largest. But last year, Mexico overtook China as the top exporter of goods into the United States, according to the Commerce Department. China had held that perch for 20 years before its exports to the United States fell by 20% to $427 billion last year. Women walk at a fashion accessories store displaying a poster to promote Singles' Day discounts at a shopping mall in Beijing, China, on November 11, 2024.

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Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, ”, Dexter Roberts, Joe Biden, Matthews, Wang Shouwen, ” Andy Rothman, “, Liza Tobin, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Beijing’s, don’t, Sean Callow, Callow, Andy Wong, Rothman, Xi Jinping, Larry Hu Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Trump, Atlantic Council, Commerce Department, Matthews Asia, Treasury, CNN, PVH Corp, Bain & Company, ITC Markets, US, Peterson Institute, National Bureau of Statistics, Gross, Macquarie Bank Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Mexico, Lianyungang, US, Xinjiang, —, Shanghai, New York, “