China’s overcapacities, with Jacob Gunter and Esther Goreichy

China’s overcapacities, with Jacob Gunter and Esther Goreichy

From MERICS China Podcast by MERICS

April 24, 2026 · 37 min · Episode 266

About this episode

The episode discusses China's economic challenges, including overcapacities and the impact of tariffs on exports.

Although 2025 saw China being faced with increased pressure and tariffs imposed by Washington and a marked decrease in exports to the US, the Chinese balance sheet still showed a record global trade surplus of 1.2 trillion USD. Jacob Gunter, Head of the Economy and Industry program at MERICS, and Esther Goreichy, Visiting Fellow at the institute, join Johannes Heller-John to talk about the reasons for cheap Chinese exports, cut-throat competition in China and the cost for Chinese society. Jac...

People in this episode

Host: Johannes Heller-John

Guests: Jacob Gunter, Esther Goreichy

Topics covered

  • China's economy
  • global trade
  • export competition
  • tariffs
  • societal impact

Keywords

  • China
  • exports
  • trade surplus
  • tariffs
  • economy
  • competition
  • society

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: MERICS

Places: China, Washington

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