General Administration of Customs: China's Import and Export of Goods Trade Increased by 2.4% in the First Four Months, with Growth in Exports of Integrated Circuits and Automobiles

According to customs statistics, in the first four months of 2025, the total value of China's import and export of goods trade was 14.14 trillion yuan, up 2.4% YoY (the same hereinafter). Specifically, exports amounted to 8.39 trillion yuan, up 7.5%, while imports reached 5.75 trillion yuan, down 4.2%.

In April, the total value of China's import and export of goods trade was 3.84 trillion yuan, up 5.6%. Specifically, exports amounted to 2.27 trillion yuan, up 9.3%, while imports reached 1.57 trillion yuan, up 0.8%.

The main characteristics of China's import and export in the first four months are as follows:

1. Growth in import and export of ordinary trade and processing trade

In the first four months, China's import and export of ordinary trade amounted to 9.05 trillion yuan, up 0.6%, accounting for 64% of China's total foreign trade value. Specifically, exports amounted to 5.53 trillion yuan, up 7.3%, while imports reached 3.52 trillion yuan, down 8.4%. During the same period, import and export of processing trade amounted to 2.54 trillion yuan, up 6.6%, accounting for 18%. Specifically, exports amounted to 1.58 trillion yuan, up 5.5%, while imports reached 960.57 billion yuan, up 8.4%. In addition, China's import and export through bonded logistics amounted to 2.04 trillion yuan, up 7%. Specifically, exports amounted to 847.48 billion yuan, up 17.7%, while imports reached 1.19 trillion yuan, up 0.6%.

2. Growth in import and export with ASEAN and the EU

In the first four months, ASEAN was China's largest trading partner, with the total trade value between China and ASEAN reaching 2.38 trillion yuan, up 9.2%, accounting for 16.8% of China's total foreign trade value. Specifically, exports to ASEAN amounted to 1.48 trillion yuan, up 12.6%, while imports from ASEAN reached 895.17 billion yuan, up 4%. The EU was China's second-largest trading partner, with the total trade value between China and the EU reaching 1.78 trillion yuan, up 1.1%, accounting for 12.6%. Specifically, exports to the EU amounted to 1.21 trillion yuan, up 6.1%, while imports from the EU reached 563.59 billion yuan, down 8.1%. The US was China's third-largest trading partner, with the total trade value between China and the US reaching 1.44 trillion yuan, down 2.1%, accounting for 10.2%. Specifically, exports to the US amounted to 1.07 trillion yuan, down 1.5%, while imports from the US reached 369.95 billion yuan, down 3.7%.

During the same period, China's total import and export with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative amounted to 7.25 trillion yuan, up 3.9%. Specifically, exports amounted to 4.15 trillion yuan, up 9.6%, while imports reached 3.1 trillion yuan, down 2.8%.

3. Increase in the proportion of import and export by private enterprises

In the first four months, import and export by private enterprises amounted to 8.05 trillion yuan, up 6.8%, accounting for 56.9% of China's total foreign trade value, an increase of 2.3 percentage points compared with the same period last year.Of this total, exports amounted to RMB 5.47 trillion, up 8.1%, accounting for 65.1% of China's total export value; imports reached RMB 2.58 trillion, up 4.2%, accounting for 45% of China's total import value. During the same period, the import and export volume of foreign-invested enterprises was RMB 4.1 trillion, up 1.9%, accounting for 29% of China's total foreign trade value. Of this, exports were RMB 2.28 trillion, up 6.1%; imports were RMB 1.82 trillion, down 3%. The import and export volume of state-owned enterprises was RMB 1.96 trillion, down 11.3%, accounting for 13.9% of China's total foreign trade value. Of this, exports were RMB 640.6 billion, up 7.3%; imports were RMB 1.32 trillion, down 18.2%.

IV. Mechanical and electrical products accounted for over 60% of exports, with growth in exports of automatic data processing equipment and its parts, integrated circuits, and automobiles.

In the first four months, China exported mechanical and electrical products worth RMB 5.04 trillion, up 9.5%, accounting for 60.1% of China's total export value. Of this, automatic data processing equipment and its parts were worth RMB 458.71 billion, up 5.6%; integrated circuits were worth RMB 405.15 billion, up 14.7%; and automobiles were worth RMB 264.98 billion, up 4%. During the same period, exports of labor-intensive products were RMB 1.3 trillion, down 1.6%, accounting for 15.4%. Of this, textiles were worth RMB 329.17 billion, up 4.9%. Exports of agricultural products were RMB 235.57 billion, up 6.1%.

V. Import prices of major bulk commodities such as iron ore, crude oil, and coal fell, while the import value of mechanical and electrical products increased.

In the first four months, China imported 388 million mt of iron ore, down 5.5%, with an average import price (the same hereinafter) of RMB 710.4 per mt, down 17.8%; 183 million mt of crude oil, up 0.5%, at RMB 3,936.7 per mt, down 8%; 153 million mt of coal, down 5.3%, at RMB 569.6 per mt, down 22.2%; 38.994 million mt of natural gas, down 9.2%, at RMB 3,318.3 per mt, down 6.1%; 23.19 million mt of soybeans, down 14.6%, at RMB 3,283.2 per mt, down 15%; and 12.922 million mt of refined oil products, down 25.6%, at RMB 4,381.8 per mt, up 1.6%. In addition, China imported 9.525 million mt of plastic in primary forms, down 1.1%, at RMB 10,500 per mt, down 0.5%; and 1.742 million mt of unwrought copper and copper semis, down 3.9%, at RMB 69,000 per mt, up 8.5%. During the same period, imports of mechanical and electrical products were RMB 2.23 trillion, up 5.7%.