China’s foreign trade saw a boost in the first four months of 2025, growing by 2.4% year-on-year to reach a total of 14.14 trillion yuan ($1.96 trillion), according to data released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Friday.
Exports led the way with a 7.5% increase, amounting to 8.39 trillion yuan, while imports saw a decline of 4.2%, totaling 5.75 trillion yuan. High-tech products stood out, with imports and exports hitting 1.52 trillion yuan, up 7.4% compared to the same period last year.
Private enterprises continued to play a significant role in China’s foreign trade landscape. These companies recorded a total trade value of 8.05 trillion yuan, a 6.8% rise from the previous year. They accounted for 56.9% of the country’s total foreign trade and contributed 3.7 percentage points to overall trade growth.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remained China’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade increasing by 9.2% during this period.
“In April, China’s foreign trade growth accelerated by 4.3 percentage points compared to the first quarter,” said Lyu Daliang, director of the GAC’s Department of Statistics and Analysis. “Exports are growing at a faster pace, and imports have rebounded from a decline to an increase, showing strong resilience.”
Lyu added that local governments and departments across China have worked together to effectively respond to external shocks, driving steady economic recovery and maintaining stable growth in foreign trade this year.
