China’s General Administration of Customs, in its released data, has stated that China has marked a 3.8% year-on-year increase in goods trade. The result was a record trade surplus of about $1.2 trillion for the year, despite challenges like U.S. tariffs under President Trump, as China pivoted exports toward emerging markets in Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.
Export growth Acceleration:
The export growth accelerated in the second half of the year, with December witnessing a 6.6% year-on-year increase that surpassed expectations; shipments to ASEAN rose by 11.2%, to the EU by 11.6%, and to Africa by a notable 21.8% during that month. High-tech exports, alongside the ‘new trio’ of electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar cells, played a pivotal role in driving overall trade expansion. In the broader context, over the 14th Five-Year Plan period from 2021 to 2025, China’s cumulative foreign trade surpassed 200 trillion yuan, marking a 40% increase from the prior five-year span and reflecting an average annual growth of 7.1%, thereby reinforcing its status as the world’s pre-eminent trading nation. The 14th Five‑Year Plan represents a turning point, shifting China from growth driven by scale to a more sustainable, innovation‑led model that addresses domestic priorities such as common prosperity and responds to external pressures like technological decoupling. By reinforcing initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative and stepping up investment in advanced technologies, Beijing is positioning itself to extend global influence and reshape international supply chains. For businesses, the plan opens opportunities in green technology, the digital economy and services, while a stronger focus on self‑reliance is likely to bring increased scrutiny of foreign firms. Overall, the 14th FYP lays the strategic groundwork for the 15th FYP (2026–2030) and advances China’s 2035 goals of modernisation and high‑income status.
The “new trio” of exports:
China’s foreign‑trade expansion in 2025 was driven largely by progress in high‑technology industries and the emergence of a “new trio” of exports: electric vehicles, lithium‑ion batteries and solar cells, signalling a clear move towards higher‑value, greener and more innovative products even as firms navigated headwinds such as US tariffs. High‑tech shipments, which include items like high‑end machine tools, industrial robots and other advanced manufacturing equipment, played a central role in that shift, lifting the overall quality and resilience of China’s export mix.