General Administration of Customs of China: China’s Goods Trade Grew 3.5% in the First Eight Months
According to the General Administration of Customs of China, in the first eight months of 2025, China’s goods trade maintained steady growth, with a total import and export value of RMB 29.57 trillion, up 3.5% year-on-year (YoY). Among this, exports totaled RMB 17.61 trillion, up 6.9%, while imports totaled RMB 11.96 trillion, down 1.2%, with the decline narrowing by 0.4 percentage points compared to the first seven months. In August alone, China’s total goods trade reached RMB 3.87 trillion, up 3.5%, including exports of RMB 2.3 trillion, up 4.8%, and imports of RMB 1.57 trillion, up 1.7%, marking three consecutive months of double-digit export and import growth.
Key Features of China’s Trade in the First Eight Months:
1. Growth in General Trade and Processing Trade
From January to August, China’s general trade reached RMB 18.89 trillion, up 2.2%, accounting for 63.9% of total foreign trade; processing trade reached RMB 5.34 trillion, up 6.1%, accounting for 18.1%; trade under bonded logistics reached RMB 4.23 trillion, up 5.6%.
2. Trade Growth with ASEAN and the EU
In the first eight months, ASEAN was China’s largest trading partner, with a total trade value of RMB 4.93 trillion, up 9.7%, accounting for 16.7% of China’s total foreign trade. The EU ranked second, with a total trade value of RMB 3.88 trillion, up 4.3%, accounting for 13.1%. The United States was China’s third-largest trading partner, with a total trade value of RMB 2.73 trillion, down 13.5%, accounting for 9.2%.
During the same period, China’s total trade with countries along the Belt and Road Initiative reached RMB 15.3 trillion, up 5.4%.
3. Growth in Trade of Private and Foreign-Invested Enterprises
From January to August, private enterprises’ trade totaled RMB 16.89 trillion, up 7.4%, accounting for 57.1% of China’s total foreign trade, up 2.1 percentage points from the same period last year; foreign-invested enterprises’ trade totaled RMB 8.59 trillion, up 2.3%, accounting for 29.1%; state-owned enterprises’ trade totaled RMB 4.02 trillion, down 8.1%, accounting for 13.6%.
4. Mechanical and Electrical Products Account for Over 60% of Exports; Integrated Circuits and Automobile Exports See Significant Growth
In the first eight months, China exported RMB 10.6 trillion worth of mechanical and electrical products, up 9.2%, accounting for 60.2% of total exports. Among these, automatic data processing equipment and parts reached RMB 946.59 billion, up 0.6%; integrated circuits reached RMB 905.18 billion, up 23.3%; automobiles reached RMB 605.23 billion, up 11.9%.
During the same period, labor-intensive products exports totaled RMB 2.75 trillion, down 1.5%, accounting for 15.6% of total exports. Among them, clothing and apparel accessories totaled RMB 738 billion, down 0.7%; textiles totaled RMB 678.75 billion, up 2.6%; plastic products totaled RMB 500.4 billion, up 0.6%. Agricultural products exports totaled RMB 472.55 billion, up 2%.
5. Prices of Major Commodities Fell, While Imports of Mechanical and Electrical Products Grew
From January to August, China imported 802 million tons of iron ore, down 1.6%, with an average price down 14.1%; 376 million tons of crude oil, up 2.5%, with an average price down 12.9%; 300 million tons of coal, down 12.2%, with an average price down 25%; 81.91 million tons of natural gas, down 5.9%, with an average price down 7.1%; 73.31 million tons of soybeans, up 4%, with an average price down 11.9%; 26.733 million tons of refined oil, down 17.8%, with an average price down 3.9%.
Additionally, imports of primary-form plastics reached 17.918 million tons, down 6.8%, with an average price down 0.4%; unwrought copper and copper products totaled 3.536 million tons, down 2.1%, with an average price up 5%. During the same period, imports of mechanical and electrical products totaled RMB 4.72 trillion, up 5.2%.
