BEIJING, June 9 — China's foreign trade demonstrated notable resilience during the first five months of 2025, with total goods imports and exports increasing by 2.5 percent year-on-year, amounting to 17.94 trillion yuan (approximately 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars).

This growth is attributed to China’s strategic efforts to optimize its trade structure and ensure stable economic growth, as evidenced by data released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

In comparison to the first four months of 2025, this growth rate marked a slight increase of 0.1 percentage points.

In the period from January to May, China exported goods worth 10.67 trillion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 7.2 percent, while imports fell to 7.27 trillion yuan, down 3.8 percent.

Notably, in May alone, total goods imports and exports in yuan terms rose by 2.7 percent from the same month in the previous year.

Exports during May increased by 6.3 percent, while imports decreased by 2.1 percent.

Lyu Daliang, director of the GAC's Department of Statistics and Analysis, highlighted that China's goods trade maintained substantial resilience despite external pressures, indicating a sustained recovery in the country's economy.

Following high-level economic talks between China and the U.S. in Geneva, momentum in foreign trade saw accelerated growth.

Significant initiatives at local government levels have contributed to the robust trade performance.

For instance, the Jiangsu provincial government has committed to enhancing financial support for exporters to partake in international exhibitions, facilitating participation for over 1,400 enterprises in more than 120 events abroad this year.

Similarly, Chongqing Municipality has implemented efficient logistics networks that enable swift customs clearance, allowing cross-border freight transport to Vietnam in as little as two days.

This has resulted in a year-on-year increase of 4.3 times in the value of goods transported via this corridor, reaching 5.7 billion yuan in the first five months.

Furthermore, China's trade structure continues to evolve, with high-tech product exports performing robustly, increasing by 6.1 percent year-on-year in U.S. dollar terms.

Despite a decrease in overall trade with the United States, where trade declined by 8.1 percent year on year to 1.72 trillion yuan, trade with ASEAN countries remained strong, marking a 9.1 percent increase to 3.02 trillion yuan.

Meanwhile, trade with the European Union rose by 2.9 percent to nearly 2.3 trillion yuan, and trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative increased by 4.2 percent to 9.24 trillion yuan.

Notably, trade with Africa achieved a record high, escalating by 12.4 percent to 963.21 billion yuan in the same period, underscoring China's expanding economic ties with the continent.

In another dimension of trade performance, foreign-invested enterprises in China reported a 4 percent year-on-year growth in May’s trade activities, totaling 1.11 trillion yuan, and marking the fourth consecutive month of growth.

Over 73,000 foreign enterprises were actively involved in export and import operations during this time, achieving a cumulative trade volume of 5.21 trillion yuan, accounting for 29 percent of China's total foreign trade.

In the burgeoning sector of new energy vehicles (NEVs), exports surged 80.9 percent in May year-on-year, reaching 200,000 units, driven by brands like BYD, Chery, and Tesla China.

For the January to May period, NEV exports increased by 37.1 percent, contributing significantly to the overall export landscape, with the EU identified as a key destination for these products.

Overall, these statistics reflect the dynamic nature of China's foreign trade as it adapts to a complex global environment.