China's Foreign Trade Grows Amid Strong Export Performance

According to the General Administration of Customs of China, the country's foreign trade turnover increased by 5.6% in April compared to the same month last year. During this period, exports rose by 9.3%, while imports grew by 0.8%. Machinery and electronic products accounted for nearly 60% of total exports.

Over the first four months of the year, China's foreign trade volume rose 2.4%, reaching 14.14 trillion yuan. While exports expanded by 7.5%, imports declined by 4.2%.

This growth comes despite earlier forecasts by some experts predicting a slowdown in China's trade amid the ongoing trade and tariff disputes with the United States. Under the Trump administration, the U.S. raised tariffs on Chinese goods in stages, eventually reaching 145%. In response, China increased tariffs on U.S. imports to 125%.

Last year, China exported $462 billion worth of goods to the U.S., while importing $143 billion. The U.S. accounts for 14.7% of China's total exports and 6.3% of its total imports, making it China's largest export market and second-largest import source at the country level.

In a potential breakthrough, the first high-level contact between the two sides since the start of the trade war is scheduled for May 10 in Switzerland. According to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting will be held at the request of the U.S. The Chinese delegation will be led by Vice Premier He Lifeng, while the U.S. team will be headed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The Geneva talks are seen as a possible first step toward resolving the trade conflict, with broader tariff reductions expected to be on the agenda.

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