Official data released Monday reveals that China’s trade in goods maintained robust growth through the first 11 months of 2025, demonstrating significant resilience despite ongoing international economic pressures. China’s total goods imports and exports, calculated in yuan, reached 41.21 trillion yuan—approximately $5.82 trillion—from January through November 2025, marking a 3.6% year-over-year expansion, as reported by the General Administration of Customs. This steady-state growth rate mirrored the pace established during the first ten months of the year, underscoring the consistent performance of the nation’s trade sector.
Exports acted as the primary engine for this expansion, increasing 6.2% compared to the same period the previous year. In contrast, imports showed marginal growth, rising 0.2%. This divergence highlights a global demand for Chinese products counterbalancing a slower domestic import appetite.
Shifting Trade Dynamics and Partner Strength
Geographically, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) solidified its position as China’s largest trading partner. Bilateral trade with the bloc surged 8.5% year over year, reaching 6.82 trillion yuan and accounting for 16.6% of China’s total foreign trade. Following ASEAN was the European Union, which saw bilateral trade increase by 5.4% to 5.37 trillion yuan.
Notably, trade relations with the United States, which remains China’s third-largest trading partner, experienced a significant contraction. Total trade between the two nations declined 16.9% during the 11-month period, totaling 3.69 trillion yuan.
Concurrently, trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) continued to expand, signaling diversification and strategic focus. Trade with BRI nations climbed 6% year on year to 21.33 trillion yuan, representing a substantial 51.8% of China’s overall foreign trade activity.
Private Sector and Technological Upgrades Drive Growth
The data confirms the growing influence of the private sector as the central driving force in China’s current trade landscape. Private enterprises’ import and export values rose 7.1% to 23.52 trillion yuan, securing a majority share—57.1%—of the nation’s total trade. This growth suggests that entrepreneurial dynamism is effectively compensating for sluggish external demand in traditional markets.
Furthermore, China’s trade structure continues its evolutionary shift toward higher-value manufacturing. Exports of sophisticated mechanical and electrical products grew 8.8%, constituting 60.9% of total exports. This uplift was particularly fueled by strong international sales of integrated circuits and automobiles, indicating success in the national strategy to upgrade industrial capabilities.
Looking at the most recent monthly figures, China’s goods imports and exports in November alone showed moderate acceleration, rising 4.1% year on year to reach 3.9 trillion yuan. This data suggests a potential stabilization as the year concludes. The sustained yet moderate growth performance across the first 11 months of 2025 affirms China’s vital role in global supply chains, while demonstrating adaptability through strong structural shifts toward advanced manufacturing and closer ties with new markets, notably in Southeast Asia and the BRI regions. These developments are critical indicators for global economic health as organizations plan for 2026.