According to customs statistics, in the first eight months of 2025, China's goods trade continued a steady growth trend, with a total import and export value of 29.57 trillion yuan, an increase of 3.5% year-on-year (same below). Among them, exports were 17.61 trillion yuan, up 6.9%; imports were 11.96 trillion yuan, down 1.2%, with the decline narrowing by 0.4 percentage points compared to the first seven months. In August, China's total goods trade import and export value was 3.87 trillion yuan, up 3.5%. Among them, exports were 2.3 trillion yuan, up 4.8%; imports were 1.57 trillion yuan, up 1.7%, with exports and imports achieving double growth for three consecutive months.

Main characteristics of China's import and export in the first eight months:

1. Growth in general trade and processing trade imports and exports

In the first eight months, China's general trade imports and exports reached 18.89 trillion yuan, an increase of 2.2%, accounting for 63.9% of the total foreign trade value; processing trade imports and exports were 5.34 trillion yuan, up 6.1%, accounting for 18.1%; bonded logistics imports and exports were 4.23 trillion yuan, up 5.6%.

2. Growth in imports and exports with ASEAN and the EU

In the first eight months, ASEAN was China's largest trading partner, with a total trade value of 4.93 trillion yuan, up 9.7%, accounting for 16.7% of China's total foreign trade value. The EU was China's second largest trading partner, with a total trade value of 3.88 trillion yuan, up 4.3%, accounting for 13.1% of China's total foreign trade value. The United States was China's third largest trading partner, with a total trade value of 2.73 trillion yuan, down 13.5%, accounting for 9.2% of China's total foreign trade value.

During the same period, China's total imports and exports with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative reached 15.3 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.4%.

3. Growth in imports and exports of private enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises

In the first eight months, private enterprises' imports and exports reached 16.89 trillion yuan, up 7.4%, accounting for 57.1% of China's total foreign trade value, an increase of 2.1 percentage points compared to the same period last year; foreign-invested enterprises' imports and exports were 8.59 trillion yuan, up 2.3%, accounting for 29.1% of China's total foreign trade value; state-owned enterprises' imports and exports were 4.02 trillion yuan, down 8.1%, accounting for 13.6% of China's total foreign trade value.

4. Mechanical and electrical products account for over 60% of exports, with significant growth in integrated circuits and automobile exports

In the first eight months, China's exports of mechanical and electrical products reached 10.6 trillion yuan, up 9.2%, accounting for 60.2% of total exports. Among them, automatic data processing equipment and parts were 946.59 billion yuan, up 0.6%; integrated circuits were 905.18 billion yuan, up 23.3%; automobiles were 605.23 billion yuan, up 11.9%. During the same period, exports of labor-intensive products were 2.75 trillion yuan, down 1.5%, accounting for 15.6% of total exports. Among them, clothing and accessories were 738 billion yuan, down 0.7%; textiles were 678.75 billion yuan, up 2.6%; plastic products were 500.4 billion yuan, up 0.6%. Exports of agricultural products were 472.55 billion yuan, up 2%.

5. Prices of major bulk commodity imports declined, while import value of mechanical and electrical products increased

In the first eight months, China imported 802 million tons of iron ore, down 1.6%, with the average import price falling 14.1%; 376 million tons of crude oil, up 2.5%, with the average price down 12.9%; 300 million tons of coal, down 12.2%, with the average price down 25%; 81.913 million tons of natural gas, down 5.9%, with the average price down 7.1%; 73.312 million tons of soybeans, up 4%, with the average price down 11.9%; 26.733 million tons of refined oil, down 17.8%, with the average price down 3.9%. Additionally, imports of primary shaped plastics were 17.918 million tons, down 6.8%, with the average price down 0.4%; unrolled copper and copper products were 3.536 million tons, down 2.1%, with the average price up 5%. During the same period, imports of mechanical and electrical products were 4.72 trillion yuan, up 5.2%.