China's foreign trade up 5.6 % in April

China's trade continued to expand at a solid pace in April, despite hefty U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, official data showed Friday.

China's total import and export value in April reached 3.84 trillion yuan ($531.46 billion), up 5.6 percent year-on-year. Exports stood at 2.27 trillion yuan, rising 9.3 percent, while imports totaled 1.57 trillion yuan, marking a 0.8 percent increase, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on Friday.

China's trade in goods in the first four months of 2025 reached 14.14 trillion yuan, up 2.4 percent year-on-year, with the growth rate accelerating by 1.1 percentage points compared with the first quarter, which continued the steady growth trend, according to official data. 

China's foreign trade has demonstrated remarkable resilience against U.S. tariffs. This trend underscores the irreplaceable role of China's manufacturing sector in meeting global market demands. Such performance also reflects China's proactive efforts to expand international trade partnerships, optimize trade relations, and actively engage in the integration of global supply chains, Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Friday.

The manufacturing sector exhibits robust adaptability and innovation capabilities, enabling it to meet the diverse demands of global consumers. Meanwhile, the domestic market continues to strengthen purchasing power, enhance market connectivity, and reduce barriers, creating broader opportunities for imported goods, Zhou noted. He mentioned that China’s openness continues to expand, providing robust support for the bidirectional flow of foreign trade with proactive reforms in trade infrastructure, from logistics optimization to customs facilitation.

The exports during the four months surged by 7.5 percent to 8.39 trillion yuan, while the imports went down by 4.2 percent to 5.75 trillion yuan. 

In terms of trading with major partners, ASEAN remains China's top trading partner, with the trade value reaching 2.38 trillion yuan, up 9.2 percent year-on-year, accounting for 16.8 percent of China's total trade during the period. China's exports to ASEAN surged by 12.6 percent to 1.48 trillion yuan, while imports grew by 4 percent to 895.17 billion yuan. 

The EU was the second-largest partner, with the trade value topping 1.78 trillion yuan, recording a year-on-year increase of 1.1 percent and ranking 12.6 percent of the total trade. China's exports to the EU grew by 6.1 percent to 1.21 trillion yuan with the imports declining 8.1 percent to 563.59 billion yuan. 

The U.S. was China's third-largest trading partner, with the trade volume at 1.44 trillion yuan, down 2.1 percent and accounting for 10.2 percent of the total. China's exports to the U.S. declined by 1.5 percent to 1.07 trillion yuan while imports dropped by 3.7 percent to 369.95 billion yuan. 

China's trade with the Belt and Road Initiative partner countries in the first four months recorded a year-on-year increase of 3.9 percent to 7.25 trillion yuan. 

The GAC noted that private enterprises recorded the imports and exports of 8.05 trillion yuan, marking a 6.8 percent year-on-year growth, which accounted for 56.9 percent of China's total foreign trade value and represented a 2.3 percentage points increase compared to the same period last year. 

Foreign-invested enterprises reported import-export volumes of 4.1 trillion yuan, reflecting 1.9 percent growth and accounting for 29 percent of China's total foreign trade value.

Product-wise, electromechanical products accounted for more than 60 percent of exports, which recorded a year-on-year increase of 9.5 percent to 5.04 trillion yuan. Specifically, exports of automatic data processing equipment and components grew by 5.6 percent to 458.71 billion yuan. The exports of integrated circuits totaled 405.15 billion yuan, marking a 14.7 percent increase, while the automotive exports grew to 264.98 billion yuan with a 4 percent rise.