Detailed Analysis of 2025 Customs Import And Export Statistics

(1) Total Import and Export Value

Overall, the total export value in 2025 reached $3.77 trillion, a year-on-year increase of 5.5%. According to the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on the same day, China's gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded the 140-trillion-yuan mark for the first time in 2025, growing by 5.0% year on year.

The growth rate of exports outpaced that of GDP, indicating that exports—one of the three key drivers of economic growth—did not drag down the economy, and the data can be described as quite impressive.

The total import value stood at $2.58 trillion, remaining basically flat compared with the previous year.

The trade surplus (exports minus imports) hit $1.19 trillion. China's trade surplus exceeded the trillion-dollar threshold for the first time, surpassing the combined total of the world's major surplus countries such as Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Russia.

(2) Trade Methods of Import and Export Commodities

• Exports via general trade increased by 5.4% year on year, a steady performance. However, imports via this method dropped by 4.2% year on year, indicating significant pressure on general trade imports, which reflects weak domestic purchasing power to some extent.

• Exports related to contracting projects surged by 44.5% year on year, registering the fastest growth among all trade methods. This signals that Chinese enterprises accelerated their pace of participating in engineering projects in overseas countries in 2025.

• Outward processing trade saw the highest growth in both imports and exports, with exports jumping 73.9% and imports soaring 87.3% year on year.

Supplementary Note: Outward processing trade (Customs supervision code: 1427), also known as "processing abroad", refers to a trade method where domestic enterprises entrust overseas manufacturers to process or assemble their own raw materials, parts, components, or semi-finished products as required. The finished products are re-imported within a specified time limit, and enterprises only pay processing fees. Customs levy taxes solely on the value-added portion. The core feature of this model is "both ends at home, middle link abroad".

As pointed out by People's Network, "The shift from 'both ends abroad' (for processing with supplied materials and processing with imported materials) to 'both ends at home' (for outward processing) reflects two key trends: first, China is moving further up the global division of labor chain, transitioning from downstream assembly to mid-upstream supply of materials and components; second, under China's 'dual circulation' strategy, the domestic market is playing an increasingly important role, and there is a growing need to leverage external resources to serve domestic demand. Through outward processing, China can better utilize the technological or labor resources of other countries and regions to meet domestic market needs, achieving complementary advantages in different links of the global value chain."

(3) Key Export Commodities of the Country

• Fertilizers recorded the highest year-on-year growth rate of 57.9%. This cross-sector growth trend requires further in-depth analysis to identify the underlying drivers.

• Exports of high-value-added products maintained robust growth: integrated circuits rose by 26.8%, automobiles increased by 21.4%, and ships grew by 26.7% year on year, highlighting the continuous improvement of China's export product structure.

• Automobile imports plummeted by 39.7% year on year, and imports of automobile parts and components fell by 21.4% year on year. The contrast between rising automobile exports and declining imports reflects the strengthening competitiveness of China's domestic automobile industry chain.

• Copper ore and concentrates were among the top imported commodities, with import volume up 7.9% and import value surging 23.3% year on year. This aligns with the market observation of rising copper prices and the strong performance of copper industry stocks throughout the year.

(4) Major Countries (Regions) for Import and Export Commodities

Export Destinations

• Exports to the United States decreased by 20% year on year, marking the largest decline among all export markets, which indicates that trade frictions continued to exert significant impact on bilateral trade.

• Exports to Africa increased by 25.8%, to Vietnam by 22.4%, and to Thailand by 20.3% year on year. These three destinations ranked as the top three in export growth, suggesting huge market potential and opportunities for Chinese enterprises in these regions.

Import Sources

• Imports from the United States dropped by 14.6% year on year, showing that the trade war has also taken a toll on the U.S. side, creating a lose-lose situation for both economies.

• The largest year-on-year decline in imports came from Malaysia, with a drop of 20.4%. According to relevant data, this was mainly due to the reduced export of tropical timber such as rubberwood from Malaysia.