According to the latest data, China's total import and export volume for the full year of 2025 reached $6.35879 trillion, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.1%. Among this, China's total exports amounted to $377.649 billion, up 5.48% year-on-year, while total imports stood at $258.23 billion, down 0.19% year-on-year. The trade surplus hit a record high of $119.419 billion. China's foreign trade in 2025 delivered an impressive performance showcasing solid strength. For foreign trade professionals, the robust overall figures provide confidence, but understanding "what the world buys from China" is the key to seizing opportunities for global expansion in 2026.

   Record-Breaking Volume, Highlighting Resilience   

       According to customs statistics, China's total import and export volume for 2025 reached $6.35879 trillion, up 3.1% year-on-year, with total exports of $377.649 billion, up 5.48% year-on-year. China maintains trade relations with over 240 countries and regions worldwide, achieving growth in imports and exports with more than 190 countries and regions.

The era of dominating markets through "low prices + scale" is fading. In 2025, three categories of products truly drove export growth:

• Electromechanical products: Exports exceeded $1.6 trillion, accounting for 42.9% of total exports, remaining the foundation;

• Integrated circuits: Exports surged 26.9% to $202 billion, ranking first among single products for the first time;

• Electric passenger vehicles: Exports skyrocketed 49.8%, breaking through $70 billion, becoming representative of the "New Three" categories.

       High-tech, green, and intelligent products firmly occupy half of the market, serving as the core pillars of foreign trade growth.

       The resilience and vitality of foreign trade are rooted in countless enterprises. Market entities represented by private enterprises showed active performance, with over 780,000 business entities recording import and export activities throughout the year. Private enterprise imports and exports grew 7.1%, with their share of total foreign trade value rising to 57.3%.

   Diversified Development, "Expanding Circle of Friends"   

Market diversification is one of the most effective strategies for addressing external uncertainties. In 2025, China maintained trade relations with over 240 countries and regions.

Trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative reached $3.29 trillion, including exports of $1.91 trillion, up 10.6%, accounting for more than half of China's total foreign trade exports and becoming a core pillar of stable growth.

Looking at specific markets:

• ASEAN ranked first for three consecutive years, with exports of $665.2 billion, up 13.4% year-on-year (Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia all saw growth exceeding 10%);

• Latin America: Exports of $297.4 billion, up 7.4% year-on-year (Argentina, Colombia, and Chile saw growth exceeding 20%);

• Africa: Exports of $225 billion, up 25.8% year-on-year (Benin, Congo, and Central African Republic saw growth exceeding 50%).

Other emerging markets also grew faster than the overall average, effectively offsetting the decline in exports to the U.S. market due to tariffs and other factors.

• Middle East: Exports of $292.6 billion, up 11.02%;

• Central Asia: Exports of $71.3 billion, up 10.80%;

• India: Exports of $135.9 billion, up 12.8%;

• Thailand: Exports of $103.5 billion, up 20.3%;

• Vietnam: Exports of $198.1 billion, up 22.4%.

       The rise of emerging markets has provided China's foreign trade with broader development space, maintaining stable and positive growth overall. This diversified market layout reduces China's foreign trade dependence on single markets and enhances its risk resistance in international markets.

   Significant Regional Differences in Procurement Priorities   

       In 2025, global market preferences for Chinese products directly determined the precision of foreign trade professionals' market layouts.

       Latin America and the Middle East became core markets for automobile exports. Mexico replaced Russia as China's largest automobile export market, while countries like the UAE and Brazil showed strong demand for new energy vehicles and mechanical equipment. South Asian markets such as India focused on the electronic information industry chain, with electrical machinery, equipment, and parts accounting for nearly half of the top ten export industries to India. Integrated circuits and lithium-ion batteries grew rapidly, aligning with local manufacturing expansion needs.

       The Vietnamese market saw continued rising demand for electronic products such as integrated circuits, lithium batteries, and mobile phones, closely related to Vietnam's booming electronics manufacturing industry. As Vietnam's electronics industry continues to upgrade, demand for high-end integrated circuits, high-performance lithium batteries, and intelligent mobile phones will become increasingly strong. With the development efforts of relevant Chinese enterprises, there is potential for even greater growth.

       The EU market showed outstanding demand for green products, with significant opportunities in green equipment such as photovoltaics and wind power, as well as industrial automation equipment. However, cost pressures from new regulations such as carbon tariffs must be addressed. Although overall exports to the U.S. market declined, categories such as optical instruments, medical devices, and textiles saw smaller declines, with high-tech intermediate products still having room for growth.

   2026 Foreign Trade Trends: Finding the Right Track   

       In 2026, to achieve success in foreign trade, accurately identifying the right track is crucial.

1. Deeply Cultivate Emerging Markets

       Focus on tapping demand in ASEAN, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and other regions. Match supplies of electromechanical products, light industrial products, and others to local industrial characteristics. Rely on market diversification to avoid risks from fluctuations in single markets.

2. Use Data for Precise Positioning

       Don't rely on intuition to judge "which markets are good" or "which products sell well." Utilize big data and advanced analytical tools to regularly conduct in-depth analysis of demand dynamics, consumer preferences, and competitive situations in different markets, such as:

• Export growth rates of various products

• Changes in target countries' import demand

• Competitors' export prices and frequencies

       Combine data and analysis results to formulate more targeted market strategies and product promotion plans, improving product competitiveness and market share in target markets to achieve stable growth in foreign trade business.

3. Optimize Product Structure and Regional Layout

       Make differentiated adjustments and upgrades to products based on the characteristics of different market demands. For developed markets like Europe and America with higher technical levels and consumption capacity, focus on launching high-end, intelligent, and personalized products to enhance product added value and profit margins. For developing countries and emerging markets, emphasize product cost-effectiveness, providing practical and reasonably priced products to meet local mass consumption needs.

       At the same time, proactively optimize compliance layouts in response to adjustments such as EU carbon tariffs and U.S. trade policies. Rely on China's complete industrial chain advantages to strengthen the competitiveness of core component exports, deepen intra-industry trade cooperation, enhance discourse power in the global supply chain, and achieve high-quality development of foreign trade.