Right now, if you’re looking to swap a greenback for some yuan, you’re looking at a rate of roughly 6.97 RMB for every 1 US dollar.
It’s been a wild ride. Just a few weeks ago, at the start of 2026, we were closer to the 7.00 mark, but the Renminbi has been showing some unexpected muscle lately. If you’re planning a trip to Shanghai, managing a supply chain in Guangdong, or just trying to make sense of your Robinhood account, that number matters. But honestly, the "why" behind the number is usually more important than the decimal point itself.
How Much RMB is One US Dollar Right Now?
As of January 18, 2026, the mid-market rate is sitting right around 6.9688.
In plain English? One buck gets you just under seven yuan.
📖 Related: Getting Started as a Fugitive Recovery Agent: Qualifications for Bounty Hunter Roles Explained
If you go to a big bank or an airport kiosk, you won't get that exact number. They’ll probably give you closer to 6.70 or 6.75 because they’ve gotta take their cut. Exchange rates are slippery things. They change by the minute based on which way the wind blows in Washington or Beijing.
Why the rate is moving today
The yuan has actually been on a bit of a winning streak. Since the ball dropped on New Year's Eve, the RMB has strengthened. Why? Mostly because China’s export machine just won’t quit. Even with all the trade talk and tariff drama, China reported a record trade surplus of nearly $1.2 trillion for 2025. When the world buys that much Chinese stuff, they need RMB to pay for it, and that demand pushes the price of the yuan up.
The Push and Pull of 2026
You can't talk about the dollar-to-yuan rate without talking about the "two-speed" economy we’re seeing in China. On one hand, you have high-tech manufacturing and exports absolutely killing it. On the other hand, the local real estate market is still kind of a mess, and people in China aren't spending money at home like they used to.
🔗 Read more: What is 3 Business Days From Today? The Calendar Math That Trips Everyone Up
- The Export Factor: High-tech chips, electric vehicles (EVs), and green energy tech are flying off the shelves.
- The Property Drag: New construction is down, and home sales have slumped. This keeps the People's Bank of China (PBOC) in a tough spot.
- The Tariff Truce: We saw a bit of a de-escalation in trade tensions after the Busan meeting late last year, which gave the markets a massive sigh of relief.
Financial heavyweights like Goldman Sachs and ING are watching this closely. Most analysts expect the yuan to hover between 6.85 and 7.25 for the rest of the year. It's a "controlled appreciation," meaning the Chinese government wants it to be strong enough to look stable, but not so strong that it hurts their exporters.
What Most People Get Wrong About RMB and CNY
It’s confusing. You see "RMB" in news headlines and "CNY" on your banking app.
Basically, Renminbi (RMB) is the name of the currency—like "Sterling" in the UK. Yuan (CNY) is the unit of account—like the "Pound." When you're looking at exchange rates, you'll also see CNH. That’s the "offshore" yuan traded in places like Hong Kong. It usually moves more freely than the CNY traded inside mainland China, which is tightly managed by the central bank.
If you see the rate at 6.97 on Google but your bank offers you 7.15 to buy yuan, don't feel robbed—that’s just the "spread." They sell it to you for more and buy it back for less.
Actionable Tips for Currency Exchanges
If you actually need to move money, don't just walk into the first bank you see.
- Check the 24-hour trend. If the USD is weakening against the Euro and Yen, it’s probably sliding against the RMB too.
- Use "Mid-Market" apps. Apps like XE or Wise show you the real rate. Use that as your benchmark.
- Avoid airport kiosks. Seriously. They are the worst. You’ll lose 10% of your money just for the convenience of standing on a carpeted floor.
- Watch the PBOC "Fix." Every morning, China sets a central parity rate. If they set it lower than expected, it’s a signal they want the yuan to stay strong.
The bottom line is that the US dollar is currently facing some headwinds as the Federal Reserve looks to cut rates, while the RMB is being buoyed by massive trade numbers. We are likely staying in this 6.90-7.00 range for a while unless something major shifts in global trade policy.
Keep an eye on the Chinese GDP data coming out this week. If it hits that 4.5% to 4.8% growth target, expect the yuan to stay firm. If it misses, the dollar might start clawing back some ground.