China's foreign trade in goods grew by 3.8% year-on-year to CNY45.47 trillion in 2025, hitting a new record and marking the first time that the volume has exceeded the CNY45 trillion threshold. China also maintained its position as the world's largest trading nation in goods last year. As China navigated through internal and external uncertainties throughout the turbulent 2025 – ranging from rising geopolitical tensions and tariff wars to weak global demand – the record-breaking reading not only shows the strong resilience, adaptability and competitiveness of its foreign trade, but also underscores the country's irreplaceable role as both locomotive and stabilizer of the global supply chain, observers said. China's exports grew by 6.1% year-on-year to CNY26.99 trillion last year, while imports grew by 0.5% year-on-year to CNY18.48 trillion, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).
“Under the complex situation where the international environment undergoes profound changes and the global economic and trade order faces major challenges, the achievements in China's foreign trade sector are extraordinary and hard-won," Wang Jun, GAC Deputy Director said. “The performance has beaten market expectations, especially taking into account that the effects of China-U.S. trade conflicts, rising global tariffs and the appreciation of the Chinese yuan against the U.S. dollar were kicking in,” Tian Yun, a Beijing-based economist told the Global Times. In 2025, China's goods imports reached CNY18.48 trillion, setting a new historical record, and the country has maintained its position as the world's second-largest import market for the 17th consecutive year, according to Wang. “Some countries are politicizing economic and trade issues, imposing restrictions on exports of high-tech products to China under various pretexts. Otherwise, China would import even more,” Wang said.
Tian noted that the 0.5% growth in imports, though modest, still carries great ramifications in terms of how China has been sharing its development dividends with the world – backed up by a consumer market of 1.4 billion people. This is particularly evident in the noticeable import growth from developing countries and least developed countries, he added. China's export market was increasingly diversified last year. The country has established trade ties with over 240 countries and regions, and its trade with over 190 countries and regions reported positive growth.
Trade with Belt and Road partner countries increased 6.3% year-on-year, accounting for 51.9% of the country's total foreign trade value. China's trade with ASEAN grew by 8% year-on-year, trade with Latin America rose 6.5%, and trade with Africa jumped 18.4%, according to the GAC. China's high-tech exports have been gearing momentum, a trend that is in line with the country's industrial upgrade. Numerous milestones were recorded last year. For example, China's exports of high-tech products climbed 13.2% year-on-year to reach CNY5.25 trillion in 2025. In particular, the exports of industrial robots jumped 48.7%, with exports exceeding imports for the first time, which transformed China into a net exporter of such robots.
China's foreign trade is expected to grow in a stable and sound manner this year. Tian said that although downward pressure due to geopolitical tensions could weigh in this year, it is likely that China's foreign trade could grow at around 5% this year, which will further drive the total volume to hit the CNY46 trillion threshold. “China's standing in the global industrial and supply chain will be further cemented,” Tian noted. Analysts expect that this year, China is likely to sustain and accelerate import momentum as more measures to stimulate domestic demand gradually take effect.
China's trade with the U.S. exceeded CNY4 trillion, accounting for 8.8% of China's total import-export value in 2025. China is the third-largest export destination and the third-largest import source for the U.S., while the U.S. is China's largest export destination and third-largest import source, the Global Times reports.
The China Daily adds that the “new trio” of green exports – electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products – collectively rose 27.1% year-on-year. Wind turbine exports grew even more sharply, climbing 48.7%. Robert Koopman, former Chief Economist of the World Trade Organization (WTO), said that over the next five to 10 years, “an important evolution in China’s role is going to be being a big center of demand”. The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) launched the “Big Market for All: Export to China” initiative in November to motivate foreign businesses to increase their exports. “In today’s global economy, a reliable and growing market is perhaps the rarest resource,” said Liao Fan, Director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of World Economics and Politics. China represents an annual consumer market of about CNY50 trillion.
