Opinion

REP RO KHANNA: Trump needs to stop hurting American workers and stand up to China

China's global trade surplus ballooned to $1.2 trillion while U.S. soybean exports to Beijing collapsed

By Rep. Ro Khanna Fox News

Published April 6, 2026 5:00am EDT

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President Donald Trump announced he will head to Beijing in May with the United States likely still dealing with the economic fallout from his reckless and costly war against Iran. Gas prices are rising, the stock market is tumbling, and American manufacturers, farmers and families are paying more for essential items as Trump continues to impose sweeping tariffs on America’s trading partners.  

By contrast, China enjoys stronger economic and strategic advantages than it did before President Trump began his second term. The president’s chaotic tariff policy was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court and has failed to rebalance America’s economic relationship with China. At the same time, it has seriously weakened the global coalition of American allies and partners needed to confront Beijing’s unfair economic policies.

Despite Trump’s tariffs, the U.S. global goods trade deficit increased to a record high of $1.23 trillion last year — more than $105 billion over the average goods deficit under President Joe Biden. Meanwhile, China’s trade surplus with the world ballooned, rising to an unprecedented $1.2 trillion in 2025 from $992 billion in 2024.

Although the bilateral U.S. trade deficit with China shrank, China now simply reroutes many of its goods — often illegally — to the United States through third countries, a concerning trend the Trump administration has failed to address.

TRUMP........

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