In 2025, China’s foreign trade continued its strong growth momentum in recent years, showcasing notable highlights in regional coordination, product structure, market layout, and business entities. The performance is reflected in the following six aspects:
I. The pattern of regional coordinated growth is prominent
Greater Bay Area (GBA):
In the first four months, the import and export of 9 cities in the mainland reached 2.85 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.4%, accounting for 96.4% of Guangdong’s total foreign trade value, becoming the core engine of Guangdong’s foreign trade.
Yangtze River Economic Belt:
The import and export of 11 provinces and cities reached 6.54 trillion yuan, a record high for the same period in history, up 5.3% year-on-year, accounting for 46.2% of the country’s total foreign trade value.
Yellow River Basin:
9 provinces and regions imported and exported 2.05 trillion yuan, an increase of 8.8%, of which Shandong Province’s agricultural product exports reached 53.07 billion yuan, a new high, showing the advantages of agricultural foreign trade.
II. Product structure optimization and upgrading
High-Value-Added Products Dominate:
In the first four months, mechanical and electrical product exports totaled 5.04 trillion yuan, accounting for 60.1% of total exports. Among them, new energy vehicle exports grew by 45%, photovoltaic modules by 28%, and industrial robots by 67.4%, with the “new three” (EVs, solar panels, and robotics) becoming new growth drivers.
Breakthroughs in Technology-Intensive Industries:
In 2024, exports of electric vehicles, 3D printers, and industrial robots grew by 13.1%, 32.8%, and 45.2%, respectively. The share of self-branded exports rose to 21.8%.
III. Market diversification has achieved remarkable results
Emerging Markets Contribute Significantly:
Trade with ASEAN grew by 9.2%, marking the fifth consecutive year as each other’s largest trading partner. Trade with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries accounted for over 50% of China’s total foreign trade for the first time.
Accelerated Growth in Neighboring Markets:
In the first four months, trade with neighboring countries reached 5.1 trillion yuan, growing by 5.1%, 1.6 percentage points faster than in Q1.
IV. Private enterprises lead growth
Strengthened Dominance:
Private enterprises accounted for 56.9% of total imports and exports, driving overall growth by 3.7 percentage points. For example, Yiwu Small Commodities Market in Zhejiang exported over 2,000 containers daily to “Belt and Road” countries.
Innovation Unleashed:
Through technological breakthroughs and branding strategies, private enterprises are shifting the export structure from labor-intensive to technology-intensive.
V. Collaborative support of policies and industrial chains
Targeted Policies Take Effect:
Stabilization policies introduced at the end of 2024 showed results, while regional coordination and industrial support policies in 2025 further boosted both the volume and quality of foreign trade.
Enhanced Industrial Chain Resilience:
Leveraging China’s vast market and robust supply chains, industries such as automotive and photovoltaics have achieved full-chain competitiveness from raw materials to finished products.
VI. Data highlights and trend outlook
Steady Growth in Total Volume:
In 2024, total imports and exports reached 43.85 trillion yuan, up 5% year-on-year. In the first four months of 2025, the figure stood at 14.14 trillion yuan, growing by 2.4%, maintaining stable momentum.
Challenges and Opportunities Coexist:
Amid a complex external environment, China’s foreign trade remains fundamentally sound, supported by expanding emerging markets, optimizing product structures, and invigorating private enterprises.
Source: Sina Finance
