China's share of exports in gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to approximately 18.9 percent in 2024, increasing slightly from the previous year. The total Chinese merchandise export value amounted to around 25.5 trillion yuan that year.

Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) in China was reported at 19.74 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

China trade to gdp ratio for 2023 was 37.32%, a 1.03% decline from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>China trade to gdp ratio for 2022 was <strong>38.35%</strong>, a <strong>1.05% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>China trade to gdp ratio for 2021 was <strong>37.30%</strong>, a <strong>2.55% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>China trade to gdp ratio for 2020 was <strong>34.75%</strong>, a <strong>1.14% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Trade is the sum of exports and imports of goods and services measured as a share of gross domestic product.

Trade (% of GDP) in China was reported at 37.32 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Trade (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

China Share to(GDP) Gross Domestic ProductGrowth: Net Export of Goods and Service data was reported at 30.300 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of -11.400 % for 2023. China Share to(GDP) Gross Domestic ProductGrowth: Net Export of Goods and Service data is updated yearly, averaging 1.559 % from Dec 1953 (Median) to 2024, with 72 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 79.800 % in 1990 and a record low of -51.300 % in 1985. China Share to(GDP) Gross Domestic ProductGrowth: Net Export of Goods and Service data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.AA: Gross Domestic Product: Contribution and Share to Growth.

China Contribution to(GDP) Gross Domestic ProductGrowth: Net Export of Goods and Service data was reported at 1.515 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of -0.600 % for 2023. China Contribution to(GDP) Gross Domestic ProductGrowth: Net Export of Goods and Service data is updated yearly, averaging 0.100 % from Dec 1953 (Median) to 2024, with 72 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.000 % in 1994 and a record low of -6.900 % in 1985. China Contribution to(GDP) Gross Domestic ProductGrowth: Net Export of Goods and Service data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.AA: Gross Domestic Product: Contribution and Share to Growth.

China's share of imports in gross domestic product (GDP) was about 13.6 percent in 2024. The total gross domestic product amounted to approximately 135 trillion yuan that year. Import development in China Trade is essential to modern economies. The imports-to-GDP ratio measures a country’s openness to inward trade. One similar indicator is the trade-to-GDP-ratio, which is the sum of exports and imports divided by GDP. It is used to measure a country’s integration in the world economy. As of 2023, China was the second largest merchandise importing nation worldwide, only next to the United States. China’s imports of goods had nearly doubled over the last decade. In 2010, the import value stood at around 1.4 trillion U.S. dollars, whereas in 2024, China brought forth approximately 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars worth of imported commodities, its main import goods being integrated circuits, crude oil, and iron ore. Meanwhile, the monetary value of services imported to China, although much lower than merchandise imports, also increased steadily. Where does China import from? In 2024, ASEAN was the leading import partner for China, with imports amounting to approximately 2.81 trillion yuan. The European Union was the second largest import source providing nearly two trillion yuan worth of goods to China. In 2023, the European Union imported around 514 billion euros worth of merchandise from China, resulting in a trade deficit of roughly 291 billion euros. Trade deficits were most significant in sectors such as machinery, transport equipment and apparel manufacturing.

China Exports to United States was US$501.22 Billion during 2023, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. China Exports to United States - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on May of 2025.

In 2024, the European Union countries imported approximately 14.4 percent of the Chinese export volume. In that year, ASEAN was the largest Chinese merchandise importer. Distribution of Chinese exports In 2024, China exported goods with a total value of around 25.5 trillion yuan and imported goods with a value of 18.4 trillion yuan. That year, China ranked second among the countries with the largest gross domestic product, following the United States.China’s economic prosperity has been closely related to its status as the world’s factory. For about a decade between 2005 and 2015, exports contributed more than 20 percent to China’s gross domestic product. However, the share of exports to GDP contribution is currently on the decline. Nonetheless, China maintains a trade surplus of about 992 billion U.S. dollars and remains first among countries with the highest trade surplus worldwide as of 2023. While China displays high growth potential for service exports such as tourism, transportation, banking and financial services, as well as insurance and education services, the main focus of China’s export industry remains merchandise. In 2022, Chinese merchandise exports made up 14.4 percent of all global exports, whereas service based exports contributed only six percent.In terms of most exported merchandise categories, food and live animals used for food were the main primary goods. Among the manufactured goods, automatic data processing machines, integrated circuits, clothing, textiles, and smartphones were the categories with the highest export value in China in 2024.

China's total Exports in 2024 were valued at US$3.58 Trillion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. China's main export partners were: the United States, Hong Kong and Vietnam. The top three export commodities were: Electrical, electronic equipment; Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers and Vehicles other than railway, tramway. Total Imports were valued at US$2.59 Trillion. In 2024, China had a trade surplus of US$991.41 Billion.

In 2024, the industrial sector generated around 30.1 percent of China's GDP. It was by far the largest contributor, followed by the wholesale and retail industry that was responsible for 10.2 percent and the financial sector that produced 7.3 percent of the country's economic output. Since China is the second-largest economy in the world, the industrial sector’s output alone exceeded the entire economy of Germany. China’s export and investment-driven economy China economic development of the early 2000s was mainly driven by investments and exports. A country's gross domestic product (GDP) consists of three parts: Consumption, investments, and net exports. Typically, emerging economies rely mainly on investments and exports for growing their economy and China was no exception. By the end of the 2010s, investments fueled more than 40 percent of China's GDP and exports were responsible for almost another 20 percent. In comparison to that, in most developed economies, investments make up only 20 percent of the economic output. Instead, the main economic driver is consumption. The economic structure in China created a huge industrial sector. For instance, China was the biggest steel exporter, the leading merchandise exporter, and exported more than a third of global household goods. Great push towards transformation In early 2018, the Chinese government proclaimed that the country's economy had reached a new development stage where consumption and services replaced investment and manufacturing as the main driver of economic growth. The fear of the middle-income trap and changing demographics were the main reasons for Beijing's emphasis on economic transformation. Although incomes in China had not stagnated, policymakers attempted to preempt “getting stuck” by steering the economy towards high-quality growth and consumption-focus. Furthermore, a society that was older and had a higher share of middle-class population had different requirements to the economy. In the case of a successful transformation, China's economy would become more similar to those of developed nations. For instance, the financial sector was the largest contributor to the United States economy. In the case of Germany, the service sector generates the largest share of gross domestic product.

According to preliminary figures, the growth of real gross domestic product (GDP) in China amounted to 5.0 percent in 2024. For 2025, the IMF expects a GDP growth rate of around 3.95 percent. Real GDP growth The current gross domestic product is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. It refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. When analyzing year-on-year changes, the current GDP is adjusted for inflation, thus making it constant. Real GDP growth is regarded as a key indicator for economic growth as it incorporates constant GDP figures. As of 2024, China was among the leading countries with the largest gross domestic product worldwide, second only to the United States which had a GDP volume of almost 29.2 trillion U.S. dollars. The Chinese GDP has shown remarkable growth over the past years. Upon closer examination of the distribution of GDP across economic sectors, a gradual shift from an economy heavily based on industrial production towards an economy focused on services becomes visible, with the service industry outpacing the manufacturing sector in terms of GDP contribution. Key indicator balance of trade Another important indicator for economic assessment is the balance of trade, which measures the relationship between imports and exports of a nation. As an economy heavily reliant on manufacturing and industrial production, China has reached a trade surplus over the last decade, with a total trade balance of around 992 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.

United States Exports to China was US$143.55 Billion during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Exports to China - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on June of 2025.

Key information about China Total Trade of Goods and Services: % of Nominal GDP

• China Total Trade of Goods & Services: % of Nominal GDP recorded 38.987 % in Sep 2024, compared with 39.025 % in the previous quarter.
• China Total Trade of Goods & Services: % of Nominal GDP data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1998 to Sep 2024, with an averaged value of 40.632 %.
• The data reached an all-time high of 68.074 % in Sep 2006 and a record low of 30.763 % in Mar 1999.

CEIC calculates quarterly Total Trade of Goods and Services as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Total Trade of Goods and Services and quarterly Nominal GDP. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange provides Total Trade of Goods and Services in USD and the National Bureau of Statistics provides Nominal GDP in local currency. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Balance of Payments is used due to lack of National Accounts statistics.

Merchandise trade (% of GDP) in China was reported at 33.36 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Merchandise trade (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

China Contribution to(GDP) Gross Domestic ProductGrowth: Net Export of Goods and Service data was reported at 1.459 % in Mar 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.512 % for Dec 2018. China Contribution to(GDP) Gross Domestic ProductGrowth: Net Export of Goods and Service data is updated quarterly, averaging -0.255 % from Mar 2015 (Median) to Mar 2019, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.958 % in Dec 2017 and a record low of -1.040 % in Dec 2016. China Contribution to(GDP) Gross Domestic ProductGrowth: Net Export of Goods and Service data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s National Accounts – Table CN.AA: Gross Domestic Product: Contribution and Share to Growth.

With an export share of over 19 percent, the United States had been China's largest trade partner for years, until 2018, when the share fell significantly to 16.7 percent, after the U.S. president, Donald Trump, imposed a 200 percent tariff on goods from China. In 2024, the United States accounted for approximately 14.7 percent of Chinese exports, reaching their lowest level in the last decade.

China GDP: Growth: Volume: Exports of Goods and Services data was reported at 5.482 % in 2026. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7.605 % for 2025. China GDP: Growth: Volume: Exports of Goods and Services data is updated yearly, averaging 10.127 % from Dec 1993 (Median) to 2026, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 30.356 % in 1994 and a record low of -10.023 % in 2009. China GDP: Growth: Volume: Exports of Goods and Services data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.OECD.EO: GDP: Growth and Contribution to Growth: Forecast: Non OECD Member: Annual. XGSV_ANNPCT - Exports of goods and services, volume, growth (national accounts basis). Percentage change compared to the previous period. Quarterly growth expressed at annual rate.

China recorded a Current Account surplus of 2.20 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2024. This dataset provides - China Current Account to GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In 2024, the gross domestic product (GDP) of China amounted to around 18.7 trillion U.S. dollars. In comparison to the GDP of the other BRIC countries India, Russia and Brazil, China came first that year and second in the world GDP ranking. The stagnation of China's GDP in U.S. dollar terms in 2022 and 2023 was mainly due to the appreciation of the U.S. dollar. China's real GDP growth was 3.1 percent in 2022 and 5.4 percent in 2023. In 2024, per capita GDP in China reached around 13,300 U.S. dollars. Economic performance in China Gross domestic product (GDP) is a primary economic indicator. It measures the total value of all goods and services produced in an economy over a certain time period. China's economy used to grow quickly in the past, but the growth rate of China’s real GDP gradually slowed down in recent years, and year-on-year GDP growth is forecasted to range at only around four percent in the years after 2024. Since 2010, China has been the world’s second-largest economy, surpassing Japan.China’s emergence in the world’s economy has a lot to do with its status as the ‘world’s factory’. Since 2013, China is the largest export country in the world. Some argue that it is partly due to the undervalued Chinese currency. The Big Mac Index, a simplified and informal way to measure the purchasing power parity between different currencies, indicates that the Chinese currency yuan was roughly undervalued by 38 percent in 2024. GDP development Although the impressive economic development in China has led millions of people out of poverty, China is still not in the league of industrialized countries on the per capita basis. To name one example, the U.S. per capita economic output was more than six times as large as in China in 2024. Meanwhile, the Chinese society faces increased income disparities. The Gini coefficient of China, a widely used indicator of economic inequality, has been larger than 0.45 over the last decade, whereas 0.40 is the warning level for social unrest.