China Posts 3.5 Percent Surge in August Foreign Trade

(MENAFN) China’s total goods trade, measured in yuan, rose 3.5 percent year-on-year in August, official figures released Monday confirmed, marking the third consecutive month where both imports and exports expanded simultaneously.

From January through August, China’s overall goods trade maintained a 3.5 percent annual increase, the General Administration of Customs reported. Exports were the key growth driver, jumping 6.9 percent year-on-year, while imports edged down slightly by 1.2 percent during the same period.

In U.S. dollar terms, China’s August exports reached $321.81 billion, with imports totaling $219.48 billion. For the first eight months, exports accumulated to $2.452 trillion and imports to $1.666 trillion.

Trade data revealed ASEAN as China’s largest trading partner from January to August, with bilateral trade climbing 9.7 percent to 4.93 trillion yuan (approximately $686.8 billion), representing 16.7 percent of China’s total foreign trade. The European Union ranked second, with trade rising 4.3 percent.

Trade with Belt and Road Initiative countries also grew notably, increasing 5.4 percent to 15.3 trillion yuan. In contrast, trade with the United States—China’s third-largest trading partner—contracted sharply, falling 13.5 percent in the first eight months of 2025.

Private enterprises played a vital role in China’s trade momentum, with their import and export volumes expanding 7.4 percent to 16.89 trillion yuan. These businesses now account for 57.1 percent of total trade, a 2.1 percentage point increase from last year.

China’s foreign trade landscape continues evolving structurally, driven by a 9.2 percent rise in exports of mechanical and electrical goods, which now represent 60.2 percent of total exports. This growth was fueled by strong demand for integrated circuits and automobiles. Conversely, exports of labor-intensive products declined by 1.5 percent.

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