顺差

• Pinyin: shùn chā
• Hanzi breakdown: 顺 = 川 + 页 — flowing smoothly; 差 = 工 (work) + 左 (left-hand) — a discrepancy or gap

Meaning

Trade surplus; favorable balance of trade. A situation where a country's exports exceed its imports in value.

A key macroeconomic and trade policy term. 贸易顺差 (trade surplus) is a common collocation. The opposite is 逆差 (trade deficit). Frequently appears in economic reports, government press releases, and international trade negotiations.

Examples

1. 该国连续多年保持较大规模的贸易顺差，积累了丰厚的外汇储备。 The country has maintained a large trade surplus for many years in a row, accumulating substantial foreign exchange reserves.
2. 为缩小与主要贸易伙伴之间的顺差，政府出台了一系列扩大进口的政策。 To reduce its surplus with major trading partners, the government introduced a series of policies to expand imports.
3. 贸易顺差虽能反映出口竞争力，但过大的顺差有时也会引发国际贸易摩擦。 A trade surplus can reflect export competitiveness, but an overly large surplus can sometimes trigger international trade friction.

Usage Guide

Context: economics, trade, government, finance

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 今年上半年，我国对欧盟的货物贸易顺差同比扩大了百分之十二。(In the first half of this year, China's goods trade surplus with the EU expanded by twelve percent year-on-year.)
• 持续的贸易顺差推动了本币升值预期，吸引了大量短期资本流入。(The persistent trade surplus fuelled expectations of domestic currency appreciation and attracted large inflows of short-term capital.)

Don't Say

• 不能将 顺差 与 逆差 混用 — 顺差 is surplus (exports > imports); 逆差 is deficit (imports > exports); confusing the two reverses the meaning entirely

Origin & History

顺 (favorable, smooth) + 差 (difference, balance) — a favorable balance difference

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal