Which Country Exports the Most Goods? When China Took the Lead, and Where Japan Stands

Here are the questions people ask most, answered in order. Numbers are calculated from World Bank data (originally from WTO and UN trade statistics). News reports and research analyses are kept apart from the data and carry sources.

• Who is first? China in 2025, and every year since it passed Germany in 2009.
• Before that? The United States and Germany traded first place. The United States was first every year 1960–1985.
• Where is Japan? 3rd from 1980 to 2003. It is 5th now, with 3% of world exports.
• Why is the Netherlands fourth? About half of its exports are re-exports, goods brought in and sent on.
• What about services? These data cover goods only, not services.

Who exports the most now? Top 10 (2025)

Top 10 goods exporters, 2025

Rank	Country	Exports ($ billion)	Share of world	Rank in 2000
1	China	3,772	15.2%	7
2	United States	2,185	8.8%	1
3	Germany	1,764	7.1%	2
4	Netherlands	989	4.0%	9
5	Japan	738	3.0%	3
6	Italy	726	2.9%	8
7	South Korea	709	2.9%	11
8	United Arab Emirates	707	2.8%	28
9	France	683	2.7%	4
10	Mexico	665	2.7%	12

Shares are of the total across the 190 countries with data ($24.85 trillion). The 2000 rank is among countries with data that year.

How did first place change hands?

Largest goods exporter, by year

Years	Largest exporter
1960–1985	United States
1986–1988	Germany
1989	United States
1990	Germany
1991–2002	United States
2003–2008	Germany
2009–2025	China

The United States was first every year from 1960–1985. From 1986 Germany took first place a few times. The United States came back for 1991–2002, Germany led again in 2003–2008, and since 2009 it has been China.

In 2008 Germany ($1.45 trillion) was ahead of China ($1.43 trillion) by just 1.1%. In 2009, as world trade fell, Germany’s exports dropped by more than China’s, and China moved into first place.

China’s exports rose from $0.27 trillion in 2001 to $3.77 trillion in 2025, 14 times as much. Its share of world exports grew: 2% in 1990, 4% in 2000, 11% in 2010, 15% in 2020, 15% in 2025. The United States’ share fell from 17% in 1960 to 9% in 2025.

Where does Japan rank in exports? What about its share?

Japan was third, behind the United States and Germany, from 1980 to 2003. Its share of world exports peaked at 11.4% in 1986. China passed it in 2004, and Japan is 5th now, with 3.0% in 2025. In dollar terms its exports peaked at $0.82 trillion in 2011 and are $0.74 trillion in 2025.

Why have Japanese exports struggled to grow? A Daiwa Institute of Research report (August 2014) points to Japanese companies shifting to production abroad, helped along by high tariffs on imported cars in Asian countries (India 100%, Thailand 80%, China 25% and others), which made building locally more sensible than exporting. Car exports were said to be about 40% below their pre-Lehman peak (Daiwa Institute of Research, in Japanese). The report focuses on cars and does not directly address the fall in Japan’s overall share.

Why is the Netherlands fourth? And the United Arab Emirates?

Fourth place in 2025 is Netherlands ($0.99 trillion), a small European country. According to Statistics Netherlands, about 50% of Dutch goods exports in 2024 were re-exports: goods brought in from other countries and sent on, with or without further processing. The port of Rotterdam and Schiphol airport make the country a gateway to the European interior (Statistics Netherlands). Counting only goods made in the country would put it lower.

In eighth place, the United Arab Emirates ($0.71 trillion) has climbed from 28th in 2000. These data alone do not show the split between oil and gas and re-exports.

What are China’s exports doing now?

According to China’s customs data, reported by the AP on January 14, 2026, exports in 2025 were $3.77 trillion (up 5.5%) and imports $2.58 trillion, for a record trade surplus of almost $1.2 trillion (it was just over $992 billion in 2024). Exports to the United States fell 20%, while exports to Africa rose 26% and to Southeast Asia 13% (AP report). The customs figure and the $3.77 trillion in this article differ slightly because of differences in how they are compiled.

How to read these numbers

• The series is a World Bank indicator (originally WTO and UN trade statistics) of goods exports. It excludes services such as travel, finance and IT. Values are in current dollars, not adjusted for price changes.
• Exports are goods leaving a country, so re-exports are included. Small trading hubs rank higher than their production alone would suggest.
• The 2025 values are close to preliminary and may be revised.
• Data: World Bank, updated 2026-10-08; retrieved by this site on November 5, 2026.

Summary

• In 2025, China exports the most goods ($3.77 trillion, 15% of the world). It passed Germany in 2009; in 2008 Germany had been narrowly ahead.
• The United States was first from 1960–1985, after which the United States and Germany traded the lead.
• Japan was 3rd from 1980 to 2003, was passed by China in 2004, and is 5th now. Its share fell from 11% in 1986 to 3%.
• About half of the Netherlands’ exports (fourth place) are re-exports.