China's foreign trade hits new high, up 3.8 pct in 2025

BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade expanded 3.8 percent year on year in yuan terms in 2025, official data showed on Wednesday.

Last year, the country's foreign trade value hit 45.47 trillion yuan (about 6.48 trillion U.S. dollars), according to data released by the General Administration of Customs. This marks the ninth consecutive year of growth for China's foreign trade since 2017.

Exports grew 6.1 percent year on year to 26.99 trillion yuan in 2025. Imports reached a record 18.48 trillion yuan, with year-on-year growth of 0.5 percent, cementing China's status as the world's second-largest import market for 17 years in succession.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China's cumulative import and export value had exceeded 200 trillion yuan, representing a 40-percent surge from the 13th Five-Year Plan period and an average annual growth rate of 7.1 percent.

At a government press conference held in Beijing on Wednesday, Wang Jun, deputy head of the General Administration of Customs, said that China's foreign trade achievements are "truly remarkable and hard-won" amid global economic challenges.

Wang attributed the steady growth of China's foreign trade to three major drivers: The country's pro-trade stabilization policies, the sustained release of import demand from its vast domestic market, and a sophisticated industrial system that continuously adapts to evolving overseas needs.