Chinese firms boost Citi's China-US corridor revenue 44 percent despite trade tensions

Mainland Chinese companies drove a 44 per cent year-on-year revenue jump for Citi's China-US corridor in the first half of the year by turning to global banks to hedge trade risks and restructure supply chains rather than pulling back from American markets.

Zhang Wenjie, Citi's China chief executive, told a media briefing in Hong Kong that escalating US-China trade friction had failed to dampen cross-border corporate activity, with the bank recording steady revenue growth instead of contraction. "Our revenue has not decreased: there has been growth," Zhang said.

Chinese firms lean on foreign banks to navigate friction

Geopolitical headwinds have amplified demand for cross-border financial services as Chinese enterprises deploy international banks to execute foreign exchange hedging, manage trade exposure and reconfigure capital flows. North America remains a vital market, prompting mainland firms to rely on global institutions to navigate financial friction and complex supply chains rather than retreating.

Citi's Greater China executives described the corporate momentum as part of a "Going Global 3.0" phase of Chinese expansion, signaling a shift in how mainland companies engage with overseas markets under sustained trade pressure.

The results underscore how Chinese businesses are aggressively deploying risk-hedging strategies to protect their global market share despite mounting geopolitical uncertainty. Rather than withdrawing from contested markets, mainland firms are intensifying their use of sophisticated financial tools offered by international banks to maintain footholds in the US economy.

Source: South China Morning Post