ASEAN remained China's most important trading partner in 2024, with a total import and export value of about **** trillion yuan. The European Union followed with a trade value of approximately **** trillion yuan.

In 2024, ASEAN was China's most important trading partner, with a **** percent share in total imports and exports. The trade value between these two trading blocks amounted to **** trillion yuan. Meanwhile, the United States's share in China's foreign trade remained at **** percent.

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.

As of 2023, China was the leading trading partner for the majority of Middle Eastern and North African countries in terms of imports and export. However, China only ranked fourth in terms of imports for Qatar and **** in exports for Turkey and Bahrain.

In 2024, the European Union countries imported approximately **** 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 **** trillion yuan and imported goods with a value of **** 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 ** 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 *** 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 **** percent of all global exports, whereas service based exports contributed only *** 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 Imports in 2024 were valued at US$2.59 Trillion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. China's main import partners were: South Korea, the United States and Japan. The top three import commodities were: Electrical, electronic equipment; Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products and Ores slag and ash. Total Exports were valued at US$3.58 Trillion. In 2024, China had a trade surplus of US$991.41 Billion.

Techsalerator’s Import/Export Trade Data for China

Techsalerator’s Import/Export Trade Data for China provides an extensive and detailed collection of information on international trade activities involving Chinese companies. This dataset offers a thorough analysis of trade transactions, documenting and categorizing imports and exports across various industries within China.

To obtain Techsalerator’s Import/Export Trade Data for China, please contact info@techsalerator.com or visit https://www.techsalerator.com/contact-us with your specific requirements. Techsalerator will provide a customized quote based on your data needs, with delivery available within 24 hours. Ongoing access options can also be discussed.

Techsalerator's Import/Export Trade Data for China delivers an in-depth examination of trade activities, integrating data from customs reports, trade agreements, and shipping records. This comprehensive dataset assists businesses, investors, and trade analysts in understanding China’s trade landscape in detail.

Key Data Fields

• Company Name: Lists the companies involved in trade transactions, helping identify potential partners or competitors and track industry-specific trade patterns.
• Trade Volume: Details the quantity or value of goods traded, offering insights into the scale and economic impact of trade activities.
• Product Category: Specifies the types of goods traded, such as electronics or textiles, aiding in understanding market demand and supply chain dynamics.
• Import/Export Country: Identifies the countries of origin or destination for traded goods, providing insights into global trade relationships and market access.
• Transaction Date: Records the date of transactions, revealing seasonal trends and shifts in trade dynamics over time.

Top Trade Trends in China

• Trade Balance Dynamics: China’s trade balance exhibits significant fluctuations, influenced by major partners such as the United States and the European Union. Trade policies and negotiations play a crucial role in addressing imbalances and shaping trade relationships.
• US-China Trade Relations: The trade relationship with the United States remains pivotal, influenced by agreements and tariffs. This partnership impacts various aspects of China’s trade policies and practices.
• Expansion of Global Trade Networks: China is increasingly broadening its trade partners and markets, reflecting a trend towards more extensive global trade engagement.
• Growth in Technological Exports: China continues to experience substantial trade in technology products, including electronics and machinery, which are key components of its export economy.
• Emphasis on Sustainable Trade Practices: There is a growing focus on integrating sustainability into trade policies, promoting environmentally friendly practices and technologies.

Notable Companies in Chinese Trade Data

• Huawei Technologies: A leading telecommunications company involved in exporting and importing advanced technology and electronics, playing a significant role in China’s trade dynamics.
• Lenovo: A major player in the technology sector, known for its global trade in computing products and electronics.
• China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC): A key entity in the energy sector, involved in the import and export of oil and gas products.
• Alibaba Group: A major e-commerce company that facilitates a substantial volume of international trade through its platforms.
• BYD: A significant player in the electric vehicle and battery industry, impacting China’s trade in automotive technology and related components.

Accessing Techsalerator’s Data

To obtain Techsalerator’s Import/Export Trade Data for China, please contact us at info@techsalerator.com with your requirements. We will provide a customized quote based on the number of data fields and records needed, with delivery available within 24 hours. Ongoing access options can also be discussed.

Included Data Fields:

• Company Name
• Trade Volume
• Product Category
• Import/Export Country
• Transaction Date
• Shipping Details
• Customs Codes
• Trade Value

For detailed insights into China’s import and export activities and trends, Techsalerator’s dataset is an invaluable resource for staying informed and making strategic decisions.

In 2024, the ASEAN was the largest export destination for China. The value of China's exports to the ASEAN member states exceeded **** trillion yuan, increasing slightly from the previous year.

China recorded a trade surplus of 103.22 USD Billion in May of 2025. This dataset provides - China Balance of Trade - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Please visit https://www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?scode=230&pcode=D5230003 for the historical issues, related publications, concept, methods, definitions of terms, and notes of this dataset. User can download, distribute and reproduce free of charge for both commercial and non-commercial purposes subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use as stipulated under DATA.GOV.HK.

United States Imports from China was US$462.62 Billion during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from China - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on July of 2025.

The statistic shows China's foreign trade share with selected countries in 2013. China's share of German foreign trade (imports and exports) amounted to about 5.5 percent in 2013.

Main trade partners of China

China's trade pattern has been largely influenced by its overall comparative advantage in labor intensive goods. In 2013, China was by far the world's largest trade nation, surpassing even the United States in terms of total merchandise trade value. That year’s goods exports from China had amounted to approximately 2.2 trillion U.S. dollars, while imports of goods had ranged at approximately 1.95 trillion U.S. dollars. Over the past decades, China has gained a lot of importance in international trade as both production and trading economies all over the world have developed close ties to the red dragon.

In 2013, China accounted for approximately 15 percent of Japan's foreign trade, making China the main trade partner of Japan. Japan mainly exports electronic equipment and machines to China and imports manufactured goods such as clothing from China. However, this relation has suffered since 2012 due to a long-running territorial dispute.

China also has tight trade ties to the United States. In 2013, China was the United States' third largest export market after Canada and Mexico. During the past ten years, goods exported from the United States to China and vice versa have grown substantially. By 2015, the United States have turned into China's main export partner with a share of about 18 percent in total exports from China.

China’s major merchandize trading partners in 2018 ($ billions).

Literature on China exchange rate and trade.

In 2024, China registered a trade surplus of nearly a trillion U.S. dollars, ranking first among all countries and territories. The United States was this year's largest source of trade surplus for China, with a trade balance of approximately 361 billion U.S. dollars.

Figure 3 depicts China-Africa trade from 2000 to 2013. It shows that China-Africa trade consistently grew since the formation of the FOCAC in 2000. As can be seen in the figure, the US trade with Africa declined after the 2008 global financial crisis, allowing China to take the lead as Africa's largest trading partner. Figure 7 shows trade between China and Africa from 2003 to 2021. Although with fluctuations, trade between the two sides has been increasing since the establishment of the FOCAC mechanism. It reached a first high of US$203 billion in 2015 and then declined significantly the following year. However, the trade increased again from 2017 and surged to US$254 billion in 2021, up by 35% from the previous year. The high trade volume in 2021 has been attributed to the additional Chinese exports of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), such as masks and hazmat suits, as well as pharmaceutical products and testing equipment for the COVID-19 pandemic to Africa. However, Gu et al (2022: 11) indicated that the strong increase in China-Africa trade volume in 2021 is remarkable as data from China's customs agency shows that it is "made up of an increase in both Chinese exports to Africa (29.9% year-on-year) and African exports to China (43.7% year-on-year)". Figure 4 shows the number of countries around the world that have joined China's Belt and Road Initiatiative (BRI). As can be seen in the figure, China's BRI has attracted more than 140 countries. In Africa, the first countries that signed up for the BRI project were East and North African countries such as Kenya, Djibouti, Tanzania and Egypt. In Figure 5, the map shows the number of African countries that have signed up for the BRI since 2015. As can be seen in the figure, 52 countries in Africa had signed some BRI-related Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China by 2022.

Table 1 shows that studies that analysed the China-Africa relationship focusing on their 'strategic partnership' are very few, given the voluminous literature on China and Africa. A search of Sino-Africa studies conducted in English with the term 'strategic partnership' in their titles produced only ten papers (see table). Furthermore, as the table shows, studies investigating the increased security cooperation in China-Africa relations conducted in English are rare, although this part of the debate has also produced numerous research publications. The column titled 'Focus of study' in Table 1 above shows that majority of these studies concentrated on analysing economic cooperation, while a few also included political relations between China and Africa. Also, the column titled 'Definition of strategic partnership' shows that, all these studies, except Akpan and Onya (2018), made no attempts to define the concept of strategic partnership. Figure 8 shows the countries around the world in which the United Nations (UN) has deployed its peacekeepers. As shown in the figure, the UN has deployed several peacekeeping missions around the world since the late 1940s, with most of these operations taking place in the African continent. Figure 9 focuses on the UN’s peacekeeping operations in Africa. As can be seen in the figure, Chinese peacekeeping troops were deployed in five out of the seven UN-led missions on the African continent as of 2019. Figure 12 shows the foreign military bases that currently exist in African countries. As the figure shows, the African Continent is a host to 47 known foreign military bases, of which 34 are United States (US) bases. Figure 13 shows the foreign military bases in Djibouti. As seen in the figure, Djibouti hosts the US' Camp Lemonnier military base, just 13.4 kilometres away from the Chinese PLA's new navy facility, along with military bases of other major powers such as France, Germany and Japan in close proximity. Djibouti thus found itself in the middle of diplomatic tensions between China and the US over fears of a Chinese takeover of the Doraleh Container Terminal, Djibouti's main container port, in 2018, as China financed the development of the port. Figure 6 shows China's Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) commitments from 2006 to 2021. As can be seen in the figure, China's financial pledges to assist Africa increased from US$5 billion to US$60 in 2015. However, they dropped to US$40 billion in 2021. Further, drops in the number of activities, such as official development assistance (ODAs) and capacity building, including reductions in security collaborations, were also noted. However, a new development was China's reallocation of US$10 billion of its Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) towards Africa from the US$40 billion that it received from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Trade weight matrix.

China exports (2018) in US billion $.

Variables Included:YearConsumption (in 2015 constant RMB)Consumption-to-GDP Ratio (%)Investment (in 2015 constant RMB)Investment-to-GDP Ratio (%)Exports (in 2015 constant RMB)Exports-to-GDP Ratio (%)Imports (in 2015 constant RMB)Imports-to-GDP Ratio (%)GDP (in 2015 constant RMB)Foreign Demand (GDP sum of China’s top four trading partners, in 2015 constant RMB)Labor Productivity (Total output / Total employment)Average Annual Exchange Rate (RMB/USD)Labor Income Share (Calculated as: Compensation of Employees / (GDP – Net Production Taxes))Profit Share (%)Real Labor Income (Average wage of employed workers, in 2015 constant RMB)Proportion of Tertiary Industry (% of GDP)Labor Income-to-Profit Share RatioData Sources: GDP, Consumption, Investment, Exports, ImportsSource: UNSD (United Nations Statistics Division) DatabaseUnits: 2015 constant RMB Foreign DemandDefinition: Aggregate GDP of China’s four largest trading partnersSource: UNSD DatabaseUnits: 2015 constant RMB Labor Productivity & Proportion of Tertiary IndustryTotal Employment: China Statistical YearbookProportion of Tertiary Industry: China Statistical YearbookCalculation: Labor Productivity = Total Output / Total Employment Average Annual Exchange RateSource: China Statistical Yearbook Labor Income ShareMethodology: Factor-based calculationFormula: Labor Income Share=Compensation of Employees/(GDP−Net Production Taxes) Real Labor IncomeSource: China Statistical Yearbook Adjustment: Converted to 2015 constant RMB

Variables’ definitions and data source.