China’s total imports and exports of goods reached 33.61 trillion yuan (about 4.73 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first nine months of 2025, marking a 4 percent year-on-year increase, according to official data released on Monday.
The General Administration of Customs (GAC) reported that this growth rate was higher than the 3.5 percent increase recorded in the first eight months of the year. From January to September, exports rose 7.1 percent to 19.95 trillion yuan, while imports fell slightly by 0.2 percent to 13.66 trillion yuan.
In September alone, China’s total goods imports and exports climbed 8 percent year on year to 4.04 trillion yuan, the highest monthly increase so far this year.
At a press conference, Wang Jun, deputy head of the GAC, said China’s foreign trade has maintained a steady and positive momentum since the beginning of 2025, despite a complex external environment. He added that China’s trade growth had accelerated quarter by quarter — rising 1.3 percent in the first quarter, 4.5 percent in the second, and 6 percent in the third. Wang also emphasized that China’s foreign trade market has become increasingly diversified.
According to GAC data, trade between China and Belt and Road partner countries reached 17.37 trillion yuan in the first nine months — up 6.2 percent year on year. Trade with ASEAN countries grew 9.6 percent, with Latin America by 3.9 percent, with Africa by 19.5 percent, and with Central Asia by 16.7 percent. Trade with other Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies rose 2 percent.