Customers front-load orders before Trump tariffs

Stimulus plans: Shoppers walk through an outdoor shopping mall in Beijing. The prospect of an expanded trade war after Trump returns to the White House is raising expectations for greater stimulus going into next year, as China braces for a new era of protectionism. — AP

SHANGHAI: Economists expect Chinese exports to reach a historical high this year as customers rush to front-load orders given President-elect Donald Trump’s threat of higher tariffs when he takes office in January.

Export growth will accelerate to 7% in the final three months from the same period last year, according to the median forecast of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg Nov 15 to 21.