China's Foreign Trade Under the Evolving Global Trade Landscape: Resilience, Opportunities, and Diversified Development
“This analysis highlights the resilience and growth of China's foreign trade amidst global economic shifts. It details steady performance through robust export data, structural upgrades towards high-tech products, and diversified international partnerships. The article also covers key developments in Sino-US trade relations, strategies for navigating trade frictions, and the rising importance of cross-border e-commerce, digital trade, and green technologies as future growth drivers.”
Against the backdrop of profound changes in the global economic landscape, China's foreign trade has demonstrated robust resilience and vitality, injecting stability into global trade through continuously optimized structures and diversified market strategies. The following analysis delves into core data, structural upgrades, and international collaboration.
I. Steady Performance and Structural Upgrades in China's Foreign Trade
Latest data shows that in the first 10 months of this year, the total value of China's goods trade imports and exports reached 37.31 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.6%, maintaining stable growth against the overall pressure on global trade. Exports performed particularly well, totaling 22.12 trillion yuan with a growth rate of 6.2%, indicating broad international recognition for Chinese manufacturing. Imports amounted to 15.19 trillion yuan, remaining largely stable compared to the same period last year, reflecting steady domestic market demand and continuing support for global supply chains. Trend analysis shows that imports and exports have achieved positive growth for nine consecutive months, further confirming the solid foundation of China's foreign trade.
In terms of export structure, high-end manufacturing and high-tech products have contributed significantly, becoming the core drivers of growth. In the first 10 months, exports of mechanical and electrical products reached 13.43 trillion yuan, up 8.7% year-on-year, accounting for over 60% of total exports. Key categories such as integrated circuits and automobiles saw export increases of 24.7% and 14.3% respectively, highlighting China's growing global competitiveness in electronics, information technology, and automotive manufacturing. During the same period, exports of high-tech products grew by 7.3%, exceeding the overall export growth rate, reflecting China's increasingly important position in the global high-tech industrial chain.
From a market structure perspective, China's trade with major global economies has become more balanced. ASEAN, as China's largest trading partner, saw bilateral trade volume reach 6.18 trillion yuan, an increase of 9.1%. China's total imports and exports with Belt and Road partner countries amounted to 19.28 trillion yuan, growing by 5.9%, demonstrating the continuous expansion of cooperation under the initiative. Furthermore, trade between China and the European Union also achieved steady growth of 4.9%. This diversified trade layout has effectively enhanced the risk resilience and sustainable development potential of China's foreign trade.
II. New Progress in International Economic and Trade Cooperation
Recently, China-US economic and trade consultations have achieved a series of positive developments. The US decided to cancel the so-called "fentanyl tariffs" imposed on Chinese goods and suspend the implementation of the previously imposed 24% retaliatory tariffs for one year; China correspondingly adjusted its countermeasures and extended the implementation period for some tariff exclusion measures. In the field of technical cooperation, the US suspended the previously proposed "penetration rule" for export controls, and China also simultaneously suspended relevant export control measures, creating a more open environment for cooperation in the high-tech industries of both countries. The two sides also reached multiple consensuses in areas such as agricultural trade and the handling of specific company cases, reflecting joint efforts to resolve differences through dialogue.
Cooperation between China and ASEAN in the agricultural and food products sector continues to deepen. The 9th China-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Cooperation and Food Safety was successfully held, where both sides signed several cooperation documents, further smoothing the channel for agricultural product trade. In the first 10 months of 2025, the trade value of agricultural and food products between China and ASEAN reached $51.3 billion, a year-on-year increase of 8.9%. Among this, China's imports from ASEAN amounted to $33.1 billion, an increase of 15.4%, with specialty products like tropical fruits becoming increasingly popular among domestic consumers. This cooperation not only enriches China's domestic market supply but also creates significant export opportunities for ASEAN countries' agricultural sectors.
III. Coping with Trade Frictions and Expanding New Business Models
Although the global trade environment is generally easing, localized frictions persist. In October 2025, Vietnam initiated an anti-circumvention investigation into hot-rolled steel coils originating from China, and Australia also launched anti-dumping and countervailing investigations into flat-rolled steel products from China. Facing such challenges, Chinese companies are actively responding through legal channels, technological innovation, and market diversification. For example, Jiangsu Senmao Bamboo & Wood Industry Co., Ltd. successfully prompted the US side to adjust the tariff rate on multi-layer solid wood flooring through judicial litigation, setting an example for Chinese enterprises to protect their rights according to law. Furthermore, many enterprises have effectively mitigated the negative impact of trade barriers by strengthening R&D and exploring emerging markets.
In terms of new business models, cross-border e-commerce, overseas warehouses, and other models are becoming new growth drivers for China's foreign trade. In 2024, the import and export volume of China's cross-border e-commerce reached 2.63 trillion yuan, with a growth rate exceeding 10%. Currently, the number of Chinese overseas warehouses has exceeded 2,500, with a total area surpassing 30 million square meters. Their service functions have extended from storage to display, after-sales, maintenance, and other full-chain services, significantly improving cross-border logistics efficiency and customer experience. Digital marketing methods such as online exhibitions and live commerce are also helping enterprises break geographical constraints and precisely reach global customers.
IV. Future Trends: Opportunities in Digital and Green Trade
Digital trade is becoming an important force driving the recovery of global trade. It is predicted that the scale of China's digital trade market is expected to exceed 4.5 trillion yuan in 2025 and reach 8.2 trillion yuan by 2030. China performs outstandingly in the export of digital content such as cloud services, online literature, and games, gradually forming a cultural export system with international influence. Meanwhile, green trade is also experiencing rapid development. Chinese products like wind power equipment, photovoltaic products, and new energy vehicles have been exported to over 200 countries and regions worldwide. In the future, as countries place increasing emphasis on low-carbon development and technical standards, green products and carbon footprint management will become key capabilities for enterprises participating in international competition.
Looking ahead, China's foreign trade will still face challenges such as global economic uncertainty and trade protectionism. However, leveraging its complete industrial chain system, continuously expanding international cooperation network, and the active efforts of enterprises in technological innovation and market expansion, China's foreign trade is poised to continuously consolidate its competitiveness and achieve high-quality growth amidst changes.
