Last year’s trade war between China and the United States caused a 20% year-on-year drop in the Asian giant’s exports to the world’s leading power and a 14.6% drop in imports, according to official Chinese data.
Other trading partners filled the gap, leading to an overall 5.5% increase in overall Chinese exports in 2025.
In general, Chinese foreign trade reached an increase of 3.8% year-on-year in 2025.
“In 2025, the total value of China’s imports and exports will reach 45.47 trillion yuan (6.55 trillion dollars), an increase of 3.8%,” Wang Jun, vice minister of customs, said at a press conference.
“The figure exceeded 45 trillion yuan for the first time, marking a new all-time high,” he added.
Exports, which historically represent an economic driver of the world’s second largest economy, reached 26.99 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.1%.
Meanwhile, imports totaled 18.48 trillion yuan in 2025, 0.5% more than the previous year.
“Some country has politicized trade issues and limited high-tech exports to China, otherwise we would have imported more,” Wang said, referring to the United States, embroiled in a trade dispute with China since Trump’s return to power last year.
In 2026 the Chinese market “will open more” and “will continue to be an opportunity for the world,” he added.
