China's foreign trade hits new high, up 3.8 pct in 2025

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 14, 2026 shows cargo ships loading and unloading containers at a container terminal of Taizhou Port in Taizhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Zhou Shegen/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade expanded 3.8 percent year on year in yuan terms in 2025, official data showed on Wednesday.

Last year, the country's foreign trade value hit 45.47 trillion yuan (about 6.48 trillion U.S. dollars), according to data released by the General Administration of Customs. This marks the ninth consecutive year of growth for China's foreign trade since 2017.

Exports grew 6.1 percent year on year to 26.99 trillion yuan in 2025. Imports reached a record 18.48 trillion yuan, with year-on-year growth of 0.5 percent, cementing China's status as the world's second-largest import market for 17 years in succession.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China's cumulative import and export value had exceeded 200 trillion yuan, representing a 40-percent surge from the 13th Five-Year Plan period and an average annual growth rate of 7.1 percent.

At a government press conference held in Beijing on Wednesday, Wang Jun, deputy head of the General Administration of Customs, said that China's foreign trade achievements are "truly remarkable and hard-won" amid global economic challenges.

Wang attributed the steady growth of China's foreign trade to three major drivers: The country's pro-trade stabilization policies, the sustained release of import demand from its vast domestic market, and a sophisticated industrial system that continuously adapts to evolving overseas needs. ■

A truck transports a container at the international container terminal of Weihai Port in Weihai, east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 14, 2026. (Photo by Chen Hongqing/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Jan. 14, 2026 shows a view of the Longtan Container Terminal at Nanjing Port, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Xin Yi/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 14, 2025 shows a view of the Longtan Container Terminal at Nanjing Port, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Yang Suping/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 14, 2026 shows cargo ships loading and unloading containers at a container terminal in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo by Zeng Demeng/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 14, 2026 shows a scene at a container terminal of Lianyungang Port in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Wang Jianmin/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 14, 2026 shows a scene at a container terminal for foreign trade at Qingdao Port in east China's Shandong Province. (Photo by Yu Fangping/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 14, 2026 shows cargo ships loading and unloading containers at a container terminal at Lianyungang Port in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Wang Chun/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 14, 2026 shows a truck transporting a container at the international container terminal of Taizhou Port in Taizhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Tang Dehong/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 14, 2026 shows gantry cranes transporting containers at a container terminal of Taizhou Port in Taizhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Gu Jihong/Xinhua)

A worker processes fabric for export to Africa at a workshop in Binzhou, east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 14, 2026. (Photo by Chu Baorui/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 14, 2026 shows a view of Yangzhou Port in Yangzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Ren Fei/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 14, 2026 shows domestic vehicles to be loaded for export at Yantai Port in east China's Shandong Province. (Photo by Tang Ke/Xinhua)