China’s Foreign Trade Shows Steady Growth in the First Half of the Year
On July 14, China released its foreign trade report for the first half of the year.On July 14, China released its foreign trade report for the first half of the year.According to customs statistics, China’s total goods imports and exports reached 21.79 trillion yuan in the first half of 2025, up 2.9% year-on-year, an acceleration of 0.4 percentage points compared to the first five months.Exports exceeded 13 trillion yuan for the first time in a half-year period, growing by 7.2% year-on-year. Imports reached 8.79 trillion yuan, a 2.7% decrease year-on-year, though the decline narrowed by 1.1 percentage points compared to the previous period.At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office, Vice Minister of the General Administration of Customs, Wang Lingjun, described the results as "hard-earned."He noted that despite complex global conditions, China’s foreign trade has shown strong resilience, achieving growth in volume, improved quality, and controllable variables.
Total growth
China’s total imports and exports surpassed the 20 trillion yuan mark in the first half, a record high for the period and over 600 billion yuan more than the same period last year.In Q2, imports and exports grew 4.5% year-on-year, up 3.2 percentage points from Q1, marking seven consecutive quarters of year-on-year growth.In June alone, imports, exports, and total trade all saw positive year-on-year growth, with accelerating momentum.
Quality ImprovementChinese firms have capitalized on the global energy transition trend, increasing exports of high-quality green products and developing new industries.In the first half, electromechanical product exports rose to 7.8 trillion yuan, up 9.5% and making up 60% of total exports. High-end equipment closely linked to emerging productive forces increased over 20%, while the so-called “three new” green and low-carbon products grew by 12.7%.
External variables can be controlledChina has continued to expand its trade “circle of friends,” strengthening economic ties and boosting business confidence.China’s trade grew with over 190 countries and regions. The number of partners with trade volume over 50 billion yuan increased to 61, five more than last year.While trade with traditional partners like the EU, Japan, and the UK increased, emerging markets like Africa and Central Asia saw even faster growth — 14.4% and 13.8%, respectively.
Facing challenges, confidence remainsHowever, certain countries continue to impose tariffs and disrupt global trade rules, posing serious challenges to the world economy.Since the beginning of the year, China’s imports have declined, and China–U.S. trade ties are under pressure. Multiple international organizations have lowered global trade growth forecasts.Lü Daliang, Director of the GACC’s Statistics and Analysis Department, attributed fluctuations in import growth to uncertain global trade policies and falling commodity prices.As a major importer of commodities — about 30% of total imports — China is particularly sensitive to such price fluctuations.As the domestic economy rebounds and internal demand grows, imports turned positive in Q2, driven primarily by quantity — indicating real growth.
US-China trade situationIn the first half, China’s total trade with the U.S. was 2.08 trillion yuan, down 9.3% year-on-year.Due to the so-called "reciprocal tariffs," China–U.S. trade reversed from year-on-year growth in Q1 to a 20.8% drop in Q2.“The essence of China–U.S. trade is mutual benefit,” said Wang Lingjun, noting recent positive developments in trade talks held in Geneva and London.China–U.S. trade rose from under 300 billion yuan in May to over 350 billion yuan in June, with a significantly narrower year-on-year decline.
Outlook for the second half of the yearWith rising unilateralism and protectionism, the global environment remains complex and challenging. China’s foreign trade still faces considerable pressure.Nevertheless, China’s diverse and stable markets, high-quality innovative products, and resilient trade enterprises provide the confidence and capability to tackle these risks.According to the latest customs survey, confidence among both export and import enterprises has risen for two consecutive months.
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