Lost in tabulation: Diverging US-China trade data point to tariff evasion

The United States and China share one of the world's largest and most closely monitored bilateral trading relationships. Yet the official statistics used to assess that relationship are sending sharply different signals. China reports exporting more goods to America than the United States says it imports—particularly since early 2025, when the Trump administration sharply increased tariffs on China. Among possible reasons for the gap, the evasion of US tariffs appears to be an important contribu

Source: Peterson Institute (PIIE)