General Administration of Customs: China's exports to about 80% of trading partners increased in the first three quarters
The Zhitong Finance App learned that on October 13, Wang Jun, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Customs, introduced the import and export situation in the first three quarters of 2025 at the press conference of the Information Office of the State Council and answered questions from reporters. According to customs statistics, in the first three quarters of this year, China's goods trade imports and exports amounted to RMB 33.61 trillion, an increase of 4% over the previous year. Among them, exports amounted to 19.95 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.1%; imports amounted to 13.66 trillion yuan, a decrease of 0.2%. In September, imports and exports amounted to 4.04 trillion yuan, an increase of 8%. Wang Jun said that since this year, China's foreign trade exports have effectively coped with various pressures and challenges and maintained a good growth trend. The growth rate exceeded 7% in the first three quarters, and maintained growth for 8 consecutive quarters. In the first three quarters, China's exports to about 80% of its trading partners increased.
Wang Jun stressed that the current economic globalization process is facing “headwinds”. Several international organizations have pointed out that the global economic outlook is facing major risks, and trade policy uncertainty has become a major factor limiting the world economy. However, economic globalization is an unstoppable historical trend. Maintaining the resilience and stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain conforms to the common interests of all countries in the world. China is an important force in maintaining the stability and smooth flow of global production and supply chains. Domestic stocks and incremental policies continue to be effective, and the vast majority of foreign trade enterprises continue to adapt to international market needs with high-quality supply. These will all continuously inject new momentum into China's exports.
The original text is as follows:
The State Information Office held a press conference to introduce the import and export situation in the first three quarters of 2025
Jia Huili, Deputy Director of the Information Bureau of the Information Office of the State Council:
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the press conference of the Information Office of the State Council. Today, we routinely release economic data. We invite Mr. Wang Jun, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Customs, to introduce the import and export situation in the first three quarters of 2025 and answer everyone's concerns. Also attending today's press conference was Mr. Lu Daliang, press spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs and director of the Statistical Analysis Department.
Now let's ask Mr. Wang Jun for an introduction.
Wang Jun, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Customs:
Thank you to the host. Good morning, dear journalists! Glad to meet you all. Next, I will first brief you on the import and export situation of China's goods trade in the first three quarters of this year, and then I will work with my colleagues to answer everyone's concerns.
Since this year, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, China's economy has been running steadily and progressing, and high-quality development has achieved new results. China's foreign trade is moving forward under pressure in a complex external environment, continuing a steady, moderate and positive development trend. According to customs statistics, in the first three quarters of this year, China's goods trade imports and exports amounted to RMB 33.61 trillion, an increase of 4% over the previous year. Among them, exports amounted to 19.95 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.1%; imports amounted to 13.66 trillion yuan, a decrease of 0.2%. In September, imports and exports amounted to 4.04 trillion yuan, an increase of 8%. Specifically, it has the following five main characteristics:
First, the growth rate of imports and exports is accelerating quarterly. China's imports and exports increased by 1.3% and 4.5% respectively in the first and second quarters of this year, and increased by 6% in the third quarter. They have achieved year-on-year growth for 8 consecutive quarters.
Second, market diversification continues to advance. In the first three quarters, China's imports and exports to the “Belt and Road” countries were 17.37 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.2%, accounting for 51.7% of the total import and export value, and the proportion increased by 1.1 percentage points. Imports and exports to ASEAN, Latin America, Africa, and Central Asia increased by 9.6%, 3.9%, 19.5%, and 16.7%, respectively. Imports and exports to other Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies increased by 2%.
Third, export products are moving towards new excellence. In the first three quarters, China exported 12.07 trillion yuan of mechanical and electrical products, an increase of 9.6%, accounting for 60.5% of the total export value, an increase of 1.4 percentage points. Among them, exports of high-tech products such as electronic information, high-end equipment, and instruments increased by 8.1%, 22.4%, and 15.2%, respectively; the growth rate of “new three” products and green products such as railway electric locomotives all reached double digits.
Fourth, import operations are gradually picking up. With the effective release of domestic demand potential, imports increased 0.3% year-on-year in the second quarter, and the growth rate further accelerated to 4.7% in the third quarter. In the third quarter, imports of crude oil and metal ores increased by 4.9% and 10.1%, respectively; the import values of measuring and testing instruments, computers and communication equipment increased by 9.3% and 8.9%, respectively.
Fifth, foreign trade players are active. In the first three quarters, the number of foreign trade enterprises with import and export performance in China reached 700,000, an increase of 52,000 over the previous year. Among them, there were 613,000 private enterprises, with imports and exports of 19.16 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.8%; 80,000 foreign-invested enterprises had imports and exports of 9.82 trillion yuan, an increase of 3.1%.
Overall, in the first three quarters, under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, various departments in various regions overcame difficulties and worked hard. The vast majority of foreign trade enterprises actively responded, pioneered and innovated. China's foreign trade resilience was demonstrated, and the structure was optimized, and the results were hard to come by.
At the same time, it is also important to note that the current external environment is still severe and complex, and the uncertainty and difficulties facing foreign trade are increasing. Combined with the objective factors of last year's high base, it is still necessary to make strenuous efforts to stabilize the development of foreign trade in the fourth quarter.
Customs will resolutely implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, further improve the effectiveness of supervision, build a strong national barrier, further promote trade facilitation, improve service levels, further comprehensively deepen reforms, help open up at a high level, and make customs contributions to the steady volume and quality of foreign trade throughout the year.
Jia Huili:
OK, thank you, Mr. Wang Jun, for the introduction. Now let's move on to the questioning session. Please inform your news agency before asking questions.
Reporter:
We noticed that despite facing a severe and complex external environment, imports and exports continued to rise against the trend in the first three quarters. Can you analyze the reason? What aspects are the resilience of China's foreign trade? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
OK, thank you for your question. Since this year, under the complicated external environment, China's trade in goods has withstood pressure, achieved steady growth, and demonstrated strong resilience. Summarizing it, it can be said that it is emboldened, energetic, and aggressive.
They have ambition, which is mainly reflected in the overall stability of foreign trade. As of September, China's exports and imports have both increased year on year for 4 consecutive months. Major foreign trade provinces continued to play a leading role. In the first three quarters, imports and exports from the five provinces and cities of Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Shandong increased by a total of 5.2%, contributing more than 80% to the country's import and export growth. Judging from international data, in the first seven months of this year, China's imports and exports accounted for 11.8% of the total value of global trade in goods, continuing to maintain its position as the largest country in global trade in goods.
It is energetic, mainly reflected in new growth momentum. With the continuous development of new quality productivity and upgrading of key industries, the structure of China's export products continues to be optimized and innovated. Robots manufactured in China have richer application scenarios and continue to be popular in the international market. In the first three quarters, China's exports of industrial robots increased by 54.9%. Wind power has “accelerated” overseas, and exports of wind turbines and parts have increased by 23.9%. Furthermore, intangible heritage products such as dragon boats, wood carvings, and decoupage exported from China have added contemporary trendy elements, and “old crafts” have gained new vitality and are widely popular overseas.
Strong energy is mainly reflected in foreign trade players facing difficulties and forge ahead. In the first three quarters, China's foreign trade operators with import and export performance reached 700,000 for the first time, exceeding the total volume for the whole of last year. According to the latest results of the China Customs Trade Sentiment Survey, the export business confidence index has rebounded for 5 consecutive months, while importers have also rebounded for 3 consecutive months. With this vigor not being afraid of headwinds and daring to pioneer, China's foreign trade “circle of friends” continues to expand. International data shows that in the first 7 months of this year, China was the top three trading partners in 166 countries and regions around the world, an increase of 14 over the same period last year.
Since this year, the world economy has faced increased instability and uncertainties, and the spread of unilateralism and protectionism, all of which have put pressure on the operation of China's foreign trade. However, China's economy has a stable foundation, many advantages, strong resilience and great potential. Long-term positive support conditions and basic trends have not changed. The advantages of a hyperscale market and a complete industrial system are outstanding, and imports and exports remain resilient and dynamic. These will all provide support for the next stage of stable development of foreign trade. Thank you!
Reporter:
I would like to know about the development of foreign trade in the western region. Can you give me a detailed introduction to the import and export situation in the western region in the first three quarters of this year? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
OK, thanks for your attention to this issue. In recent years, the western region of China has insisted on promoting major development through great opening-up, and has gradually moved from an inland hinterland to the frontier of openness. In 2024, the western region's imports and exports exceeded 4 trillion yuan for the first time, accounting for 9.2% of China's total import and export value. In the first three quarters of this year, foreign trade development in the western region maintained strong momentum, with imports and exports amounting to 3.21 trillion yuan, an increase of 10.2% over the previous year. It boils down to three main benefits:
First, it is driven by both dominant industries and emerging industries. The western region continued to promote the quality and efficiency of industries with special advantages. Exports of traditional manufacturing products such as home appliances, motorcycles, and furniture grew by more than 20% in the first three quarters; specialty agricultural products greatly increased added value through deep processing, and products such as coffee liquid and sturgeon caviar accelerated overseas. Meanwhile, the western region is exploring the development of modern manufacturing and strategic emerging industries. Exports of high-tech products such as high-end equipment, electronic information, and biomedicine exceeded 450 billion yuan, an increase of 26.4%.
Second, platform construction and channel construction are both speeding up. Recently, the Chongqing International Railway Port Comprehensive Insurance Zone passed the inspection, increasing the number of comprehensive free trade zones owned by the western region to 41, further increasing its attractiveness and carrying capacity for enterprises. At the same time, the western region is vigorously promoting the construction of new land and sea corridors in the west and the China-Europe train hubs, and an open path is woven into a network. In the first three quarters, the western region's imports and exports through the new land and sea corridors in the west reached 6115 billion yuan, an increase of 19.3%, driving foreign trade growth in the western region by 3.4 percentage points.
Third, the vitality and strength of foreign trade players have both increased. Various types of enterprises continue to focus on the development of the western region, and the number of private, foreign-funded, and state-owned import and export enterprises is increasing simultaneously. In the first three quarters, the number of enterprises with import and export performance in the western region reached 41,000, an increase of 11.8%. Among the top 100 enterprises in China's import and export scale, Western enterprises accounted for 12, an increase of 2 over the same period last year.
This year, for the first time, China held a working conference around the central government, and the open development of the western region ushered in new opportunities. Customs will step up support for the western region to make full use of its location advantages, optimize port layout, improve channel energy levels, and provide good services to raise the level of openness of the western region to the outside world. Thank you!
Reporter:
At the end of this month, the 32nd APEC Informal Leaders' Meeting will be held in South Korea. Could you please explain the import and export situation to other APEC economies in the first three quarters of this year, and how was the trade situation with the host South Korea? Thank you.
Lu Daliang, press spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs and director of the Department of Statistical Analysis:
OK, thank you to this media friend for the question. China has close economic and trade contacts with other Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies. Just now, Deputy Director Wang Jun also explained that in the first three quarters, China's imports and exports to other APEC economies increased 2% year-on-year, reaching 19.41 trillion yuan, which accounted for 57.8% of China's total import and export value. Among them, our imports and exports of high-tech products from other economies all exceeded 2 trillion yuan, with increases of 7.9% and 12% respectively, accounting for more than 60% of the total value of imports and exports of similar products. My exports of daily necessities to other economies increased by 5.7%, and imports of sporting goods increased 15.6%.
APEC is an important platform for regional economic cooperation. Currently, Asia-Pacific cooperation is also facing the challenges of geopolitics, unilateralism, and protectionism. Forging consensus among all parties and deepening cooperation in various fields is conducive to jointly addressing regional economic challenges and making the Asia-Pacific region more prosperous.
Regarding the trade situation between China and South Korea, in the first three quarters, my imports and exports to South Korea amounted to 1.74 trillion yuan, an increase of 2%. Among them, exports to South Korea amounted to 771.28 billion yuan, an increase of 0.6%; imports from South Korea amounted to 967.17 billion yuan, an increase of 3.1%. Looking at specific commodities, imports and exports of mechanical and electrical products and agricultural products increased by 6% and 3.3% respectively.
China and South Korea are important neighbors and close partners. The industrial chain supply chain is deeply interconnected, and it has formed a “you have me, I have you” development pattern. China is South Korea's largest trading partner, and South Korea is China's fifth largest trading partner. Both sides should further expand economic and trade cooperation and jointly maintain the international free trade system.
Thank you!
Reporter:
In recent years, the import and export growth rate of private enterprises in China has been relatively rapid. Looking at the first three quarters of this year, what are the characteristics and highlights of private enterprise imports and exports? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
OK, thank you for your question. In February of this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping attended a private enterprise symposium and delivered an important speech. The Private Economy Promotion Law was officially implemented in May, effectively stimulating the vitality of private enterprises. In the first three quarters, private enterprises imported and exported 19.16 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.8% over the previous year. Among them, exports and imports increased 8.8% and 5.9% respectively. Summarizing the characteristics and highlights of private enterprises, they are highlighted in 3 aspects:
The first is the “main force” for stabilizing foreign trade. As of the third quarter of this year, imports and exports of private enterprises have been growing year-on-year for 22 consecutive quarters. In particular, since this year, in the face of serious challenges brought about by the complex external environment, private enterprises have continued to lead the import and export growth rate. The first three quarters drove China's foreign trade growth by 4.3 percentage points, accounting for 57% of China's total foreign trade value, an increase of 2 percentage points over the same period last year, and continued to maintain the position of China's largest foreign trade entity.
The second is the “vanguard” of market development. In the first three quarters, the import and export growth rate of private enterprises to more than 180 countries and regions around the world was higher than the overall level. In terms of exports, the growth rate for emerging markets such as ASEAN, Africa, and Central Asia increased by 14%, 27.3%, and 11.8%, respectively, and the growth rate for traditional markets such as the European Union and Japan also exceeded the overall level. In addition, private enterprises are actively connecting with overseas customers, exporting fresh tangerines to New Zealand for the first time, Xiaolongbao to Honduras, and continuously expanding the export market for China's specialty agricultural products and traditional food.
The third is a “pathfinder” of technological innovation. The innovation vitality of private enterprises continues to flourish, and innovative achievements are emerging, providing new impetus for the development of foreign trade. In the first three quarters, exports of high-tech products by private enterprises increased by 15.3%, accounting for 54.2% of China's total export value of similar commodities, an increase of 1.6 percentage points. Currently, nearly 80% of China's high-end machine tools, more than 70% of lithium batteries, and nearly 60% of medical devices are exported by private enterprises. From superwheels to handheld terminals, from industrial equipment to physical intelligence, private enterprises are not absent.
In the next step, customs will continue to deepen customs clearance reform, optimize supervision services, strengthen policy guidance, escort private enterprises to “sail overseas”, and help the private economy develop healthily and with high quality. Thank you!
Reporter:
I have two questions. The first is that as trade frictions between China and the US bring uncertainty, some products, such as Christmas products, were exported to the US ahead of schedule. May I ask customs what types of products were exported early, and what impact will it have on the export growth rate in the fourth quarter? Second question, how does customs view the charges between China and the US for landing each other's ships on October 14, and the impact on China's imports and exports? Thank you.
Lu Da-liang:
OK, you mentioned two issues. Regarding the first question, since this year, tariffs have been abused by individual countries, impacting the multilateral trading system, disrupting the global trade order, affecting the normal production and operation of enterprises and the pace of trade. It has also harmed the interests of a large number of enterprises. At the same time, the economic development of various countries has been seriously disrupted, triggering widespread opposition in the international community. China has always steadfastly supported and maintained the multilateral trading system, promoted the stability and smooth flow of the global industrial chain supply chain, and injected certainty and stability into world economic growth. As for the import and export situation of specific products, you can check the relevant data on our website.
Regarding the second question, which is the issue of port fees for ships. The relevant departments have responded many times before. The US side's measures are typical acts of unilateralism and protectionism, and are clearly discriminatory. China's countermeasures are a necessary passive defensive act. They are not only measures that must be taken to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese industries and enterprises, but also necessary measures to maintain a level playing field in the international shipping and shipbuilding markets. I hope the US side can face up to its mistakes, move in the opposite direction with China, and return to the right track of dialogue and negotiation. Thank you!
Reporter:
Cross-border e-commerce is a “hot word” in the economic field in recent years, and it has become a new driving force for the growth of foreign trade. Can you tell me the latest developments in China's cross-border e-commerce development in the first three quarters of this year? In the next step, what specific measures will customs take to help the development of cross-border e-commerce? Thank you.
Lu Da-liang:
Thank you for your question. Cross-border e-commerce has always been something people pay close attention to. According to China's cross-border e-commerce statistical survey system, the frequency of cross-border e-commerce statistics surveys is semi-annual reports and annual reports. Here, I would like to first report the official data on cross-border e-commerce imports and exports for the first half of the year. In the first half of this year, China's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports amounted to 1.37 trillion yuan, an increase of 10.3% over the previous year, accounting for 6.3% of China's total import and export value during the same period, an increase of 0.4 percentage points over the same period last year. Among them, exports amounted to 1.09 trillion yuan, an increase of 11.6%; imports were 281.18 billion yuan, an increase of 5.5%.
As a new form of trade, cross-border e-commerce has greatly facilitated domestic and foreign consumers. Judging from the main products exported, it is mainly clothing, shoes, bags and jewelry accessories, digital products and accessories, household and office appliances and accessories. The imported products are mainly beauty and toiletries, fresh food, health products, and medical devices. China's “cross-border e-commerce plus industrial belt” has achieved remarkable results. The main consumer markets are also highly correlated with import destinations. The main export goods come from Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangsu and Henan, and the import destinations are mainly concentrated in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Shandong.
Regarding the latest import and export situation of cross-border e-commerce, it is still preliminary calculation data for your reference. In the first three quarters, China's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports amounted to about 2.06 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.4%. Among them, exports amounted to about 1.63 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.6%; imports amounted to about 425.54 billion yuan, an increase of 5.9%.
In recent years, Customs has continuously deepened reforms and introduced a series of innovative measures to help the high-quality development of cross-border e-commerce. We have launched a “check first, then ship” pilot project to promote cross-border e-commerce retail export returns across customs zones, simplify export declaration procedures for enterprises, and actively support logistics model innovations such as “cross-border e-commerce plus China-Europe trains”, improving logistics efficiency and saving enterprise costs. We have also optimized the tax payment model and introduced electronic tax payment. Cross-border e-commerce companies can complete tax payments online through a next-generation electronic tax payment system, so that “data runs more, and enterprises run less errands.” We have continuously deepened customs cooperation and co-governance with cross-border e-commerce enterprises, strengthened information sharing and data interface with enterprises, embedded customs supervision requirements into the business management process of enterprises, and achieved “compliance supervision”.
In the next step, we will strengthen targeted policy publicity and business training, coordinate and resolve problems encountered by enterprises in customs clearance in a timely manner, continue to optimize the cross-border e-commerce supervision model, further enhance the convenience and standardization of customs clearance for cross-border e-commerce enterprises, and help China's cross-border e-commerce continue to develop high-quality standards. Thank you!
Reporter:
It has just been introduced that China's exports have maintained a good growth trend in the first three quarters of this year. What is the main reason for this? Furthermore, we are also concerned that the current international economic and trade situation is very complex and changing. What will happen to the subsequent export situation? Please respond to this from the Director.
Wang Jun:
Thank you, everyone is very concerned about foreign trade exports. Since this year, China's foreign trade exports have effectively coped with various pressures and challenges and maintained a good growth trend. The growth rate exceeded 7% in the first three quarters, and maintained growth for 8 consecutive quarters. According to preliminary analysis, there are the following driving factors.
First, China's complete industrial system has built a solid foundation for growth. China has a large industrial scale, a full range of industries, and strong supporting capabilities. It is a “key link” in the global industrial chain supply chain. Judging from global trade data, China's share of exports of industrial products has steadily ranked first in the world since 2008, accounting for close to 20% in recent years. Judging from customs statistics, China's manufacturing exports have been growing continuously for 8 years, and continued to grow by 7.1% in the first three quarters of this year. Among them, exports of products related to special equipment manufacturing, automobile manufacturing, instrument manufacturing and other industries all maintained double-digit growth.
Second, the increase in the level of innovation has stimulated growth potential. With the accelerated cultivation of new kinetic energy and new advantages in China's manufacturing industry, new technologies and new products are emerging. In the first three quarters, China exported 3.75 trillion yuan of high-tech products, an increase of 11.9%, contributing more than 30% to the overall export growth during the same period. Among them, exports of ships and marine engineering equipment increased by 25.5%. Recently, we exported a liquefied natural gas production platform worth nearly 15 billion yuan. The annual production capacity can support the domestic gas needs of 10 million urban residents. Technological innovation drives brand building. In recent years, the share of independent brands in China's exports of electric vehicles, agricultural machinery, etc. has increased year by year, reaching 59.5% and 40.2% respectively in the first three quarters of this year, which is a significant increase over the same period last year.
Third, adapting to market demand has expanded the room for growth. More and more companies keep up with the changing needs of the international market and actively provide customers with personalized and customized solutions. For example, our company introduced split air conditioners that can be “moved” at will, and indoor and outdoor units can be flexibly installed. Such products are adapted to the architectural and climatic characteristics of the European market, driving China's air conditioning exports to Europe to increase by more than 20% in the first three quarters. Another example is that for tropical rainy regions, our company has developed solar street lights that track the sun's trajectory in real time, greatly improving power generation efficiency. In the first three quarters, China's exports to about 80% of its trading partners increased.
Currently, the economic globalization process is facing “headwinds”. A number of international organizations have pointed out that the global economic outlook faces major risks, and trade policy uncertainty has become a major factor limiting the world economy. However, economic globalization is an unstoppable historical trend, and maintaining the resilience and stability of the global industrial chain supply chain conforms to the common interests of all countries in the world. China is an important force in maintaining the stability and smooth flow of global production and supply chains. Domestic stocks and incremental policies continue to be effective, and the vast majority of foreign trade enterprises continue to meet the needs of the international market with high-quality supply. These will all continuously inject new momentum into China's exports. Thank you!
Reporter:
My focus is on the import side. As can be seen from the data just released, the import data for the past three quarters has gradually rebounded. The recovery in the third quarter was still quite large, but overall, imports are still weaker than exports. Excuse me, what is the main reason for the General Administration of Customs's analysis? What are the expectations of the General Administration of Import and Customs for some time to come? Thank you.
Lu Da-liang:
Thank you. Deputy Director Wang Jun just explained the export situation. Let me introduce the import situation. China is the world's second-largest import market for goods, and China's big market is also a big opportunity for the world. In the first three quarters, prices of some commodities in the international market fell, which had a certain impact on the growth rate and data performance of imports, but in terms of quantity, China's import volume index increased 0.6% year on year. Judging from the monthly trend, as of September, imports had been growing for 4 consecutive months. Driven by domestic production and consumer demand, imports of crude oil, metal ore, etc. increased by 2.6% and 4.2% respectively in the first three quarters, while import values of food, tobacco, alcohol, cultural and entertainment products also increased by 10.2% and 9.4%, respectively. As restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector were “cleared”, imports from foreign-invested enterprises increased by 1.1% in the first three quarters.
Looking at China's imports, it depends not only on the size of the market, but also on China's responsibility as a major power to actively expand imports. China's opening doors are getting wider and wider, and it is sharing the development opportunities of Chinese-style modernization with more and more trading partners. In the first three quarters, China added 135 new agricultural products to the market, involving 50 countries and regions. The least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with us have implemented zero tariffs on 100% of their products, and imports from these countries have increased by 9.7%. At the same time, China is actively promoting the adoption of commercial and commercial partnership agreements for joint development and implementing zero-tariff measures for 100% tariff products with 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations.
Next month, the 8th China International Import Expo will be held in Shanghai. The Expo is not only a platform for showcasing new products, but also a “golden gate” for multinational enterprises to enter the Chinese market. Currently, exhibits from all over the world are being shipped out one after another. According to information, a series of hard-core technology products, such as family companion robots, will debut at the fair. Customs will further optimize customs clearance facilitation measures, enhance technological empowerment, innovate supervision models, and help more global enterprises share China's large market. Thank you.
Reporter:
Through the introduction, we have just learned that China's foreign trade with the “Belt and Road” countries continued to maintain a good momentum in the first three quarters. What highlights have been shown in the middle? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
Thank you for your question. In the first three quarters of this year, China's imports and exports to the co-built countries reached 17.37 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.2%, which is 2.2 percentage points higher than China's overall import and export growth rate during the same period. In terms of imports, the share of China's commodity imports came from co-established countries for 64.6%, an increase of 1.1 percentage points over the same period last year. Since this year, the General Administration of Customs has signed more than 100 cooperation documents with the counterpart departments of the Joint Construction State, including more than 70 agricultural and food product entry documents. Of the value of agricultural imports in China, co-built countries accounted for 69.1%, an increase of 3.1 percentage points over the same period last year. In terms of exports, exports of electronic information products to joint construction countries increased by 16.6%, high-end equipment increased by 37%, wind turbines increased by 58%, and exports of “clothing, food, lodging, and travel” products such as textiles and clothing, food, furniture, and automobiles all increased.
High-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative is an important public product provided by China to the international community, and has become the broadest and largest international cooperation platform in the world today. Smooth trade at a high level continues to open up new space for joint development cooperation between countries. In order to comprehensively show the achievements made in foreign trade development between China and the co-built countries, we have compiled a trade index between China and the co-built “Belt and Road” countries on an annual basis. We set the base figure for 2013 at 100. The latest results show that the index rose to 198 in 2024, fully reflecting the strong momentum and growth potential of economic and trade cooperation between China and the co-building countries. In 2024, the share of co-founded countries exceeded 50% of China's imports and exports for the first time, and further increased to 51.7% in the first three quarters of this year.
In the next step, the customs will continue to be guided by the eight actions of high-quality joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, deepening cooperation with customs countries, raising the level of customs facilitation, and pushing economic and trade cooperation between China and the co-building countries to a new level. Thank you!
Reporter:
Looking at trade methods, what was the import and export data for processing trade in the first three quarters? What kind of development trend is it showing? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
OK, thank you. Processing trade is an important trade method linking domestic and international dual cycles. Since 2010, the annual import and export scale of China's processing trade has remained above 7 trillion yuan. In the first three quarters of this year, processing trade imports and exports amounted to 6.18 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.9% over the previous year, accounting for 18.4% of China's total foreign trade import and export value, contributing more than 30% to the growth of imports and exports. Of China's exports, 60% of laptop computers and 70% of game consoles are exported through processing trade.
Here, I would like to highlight a few positive changes in processing trade since this year. The first is that processing trade continues to expand into high value-added links. In the first three quarters, the share of high-tech products in processing trade exports reached 32.6%, an increase of 0.4 percentage points over the previous year, and the share was higher than the overall level. More and more enterprises have become specialized and new “little giants” through deep cultivation in segmented fields and technological innovation. Second, the gradient transfer of processing trade has achieved remarkable results. Processing trade imports and exports in the central and western regions reached 1.56 trillion yuan, an increase of 11.9%, accounting for 25.7% of the total value of foreign trade in the central and western regions, which is 7.3 percentage points higher than the national average. Among them, exports of flat panel display modules, electrical equipment, and medical instruments have all achieved rapid growth. The third is an increase in the level of diversification in the processing trade market. Processing trade imports and exports to the “Belt and Road” countries increased by 13.9%, which is 7 percentage points higher than the overall growth rate of processing trade.
Customs will continue to implement a number of measures to support the high-quality development of processing trade, continue to innovate supervision models, help processing trade expand into new “bonded +” business formats such as bonded maintenance and bonded leasing, and inject new vitality into the development of processing trade. Thank you!
Reporter:
Can you tell me about the trade situation between China and ASEAN in the first three quarters? Furthermore, in the next stage, after the official signing of the 3.0-version upgrade protocol of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, what new opportunities will it bring to trade between China and ASEAN? Thank you.
Lu Da-liang:
OK, ASEAN is our number one trading partner. Since China and ASEAN established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2021, economic and trade cooperation between the two sides has become closer. The scale of trade has continuously crossed the 5 trillion yuan and 6 trillion yuan levels. Last year it reached 6.99 trillion yuan, or close to 7 trillion yuan. In the first three quarters of this year, China's total import and export value to ASEAN was 5.57 trillion yuan, an increase of 9.6% over the previous year, accounting for 16.6% of China's total foreign trade value. ASEAN continues to maintain its position as China's largest trading partner, and economic and trade relationships with complementary advantages and mutual benefit continue to deepen.
From the consumer's point of view, it has enriched the consumption choices of both parties. ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for agricultural products for 8 consecutive years. In the first three quarters of this year, China's agricultural imports from ASEAN increased by 15.3%, accounting for 19.1% of China's total agricultural imports. ASEAN is the second largest source of agricultural imports. Among them, the number of fruits entering the Chinese market through the “Golden Corridor” of the China-Lao Railway increased by 37.8%, and the “tropical flavor” enjoyed by domestic consumers was faster and fresher. At the same time, ASEAN is also the largest market for China's agricultural exports. In the first three quarters, China's exports of citrus, lettuce, etc. to ASEAN all achieved relatively rapid growth, and ASEAN consumers can also choose more “Chinese flavors.”
From an enterprise perspective, it has supported industrial cooperation between the two sides. With the full entry into force of multilateral and bilateral free trade agreements between China and ASEAN countries, the effects of tariff concessions and trade facilitation policy dividends continue to be released, the integration of the regional industrial chain supply chain continues to deepen, and the space for industrial cooperation between China and ASEAN continues to expand. In the first three quarters, China's exports of textile machinery and textile raw materials to ASEAN increased by 28.2% and 13.4% respectively, and imported clothing increased by 9.3%; imports of rubber from ASEAN increased by 40.7%, and exports of automobile spare parts such as tires increased by 19.8%.
From the perspective of importers and exporters, the trade channel between the two sides is smoother. China and ASEAN are connected by landscape and water. The “Belt and Road” initiative is deeply connected with the “ASEAN Connectivity Master Plan 2025”. A number of iconic projects such as the China-Laos Railway have been completed one after another, and the three-dimensional connectivity network between the two sides has been improved, providing strong support for deepening economic and trade cooperation. Looking at the first three quarters, China's imports and exports to ASEAN by land transportation increased by 21%, and imports and exports by water and air transport also grew rapidly.
The China-ASEAN relationship has become the most successful and dynamic example of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Just now, you also mentioned that the 3.0 edition of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area negotiations has been fully completed. We believe this will inject new momentum into the development of bilateral economic and trade relations and inject greater certainty into regional and global trade. Customs will continue to improve the effectiveness of supervision and service levels, and push bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN to a new level. Thank you!
Reporter:
Through Deputy Director Wang's introduction, we learned that when traditional culture “holds hands” with Made in China, Chinese trendy games continue to add new color to China's foreign trade. Excuse me, how has the national tide been “going out to sea” since this year? How can Customs launch new support initiatives? Thank you!
Wang Jun:
Thank you, I can say that the question you asked has received a lot of social attention. We are happy to see that in recent years, many domestic “trendy products” have become global “hot models”, are favored by overseas consumers, and have become new highlights of China's foreign trade exports. In the first three quarters, China exported more than 50 billion yuan of holiday goods, dolls, and animal-shaped toys, which were sold to more than 200 countries and regions around the world. Many of these were domestic “trendy products.”
These products are popular all over the world. They reflect the influence of traditional Chinese culture, highlight the creativity of foreign trade enterprises, and rely on the hard power of Chinese manufacturing. For example, last week was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Guochao lanterns and bamboo bunnies have gained a lot of popularity overseas. Familiar blind box dolls, model figures, etc. combine cultural connotations and brand values, and are all original Chinese IP games. Using 3D printing technology, our toy company reduced the new product development cycle from 15 days to 3 days, and achieved from leading scale to leading strength.
In the next step, we will continue to do a good job in customs protection of intellectual property rights, serve the innovation and development of enterprises, continuously optimize the cross-border trade and business environment, implement customs clearance facilitation measures, and provide guarantees for the efficient and smooth delivery of these “popular products” to global consumers. Thank you!
Reporter:
The SCO summit was held in Tianjin in September this year. What is the economic and trade situation between our country and the SCO countries since this year? Thank you.
Lu Da-liang:
Since the establishment of the SCO 24 years ago, member countries have shared opportunities and sought common development. It can be said that cooperation in various fields has achieved fruitful results. China's imports and exports to other SCO member countries have grown from about 100 billion yuan at the beginning of the establishment of the SCO to 3.65 trillion yuan in 2024. According to the latest data for the first three quarters of this year, China's imports and exports to other member countries amounted to 2.75 trillion yuan, an increase of 2.4% over the previous year, and the scale reached a record high for the same period in history.
Judging from the data, with the accelerated development of trains between China and Europe, the expansion of international road transport routes, and the tightening of air cargo networks, the results of these interconnections have all contributed to the deepening of SCO trade cooperation. In the first three quarters of this year, China's imports and exports to other member countries by rail transport exceeded 360 billion yuan, accounting for 70% of China's total import and export value of railway transport; imports and exports of road transport and air transport also increased by 10.9% and 37%, respectively. There are more and more operators involved in trade, and personnel exchanges are becoming more and more convenient. In the first three quarters, there were more than 190,000 enterprises in China with import and export performance to other member countries, an increase of about 8,500 over the same period last year. According to information, since this year, there have been more than 100,000 SCO merchants visiting Yiwu, Zhejiang to buy and start businesses, an increase of more than 10,000 over the same period last year.
China is actively promoting access to agricultural products from the “SCO Circle of Friends”. In the first three quarters of this year, China imported 74.3 billion yuan of agricultural products from other member countries, an increase of 6.1%. More and more agricultural food products with SCO characteristics have crossed the landscape and entered the daily lives of Chinese consumers. Over the same period, our exports of agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices to other member countries increased by 51.9%, 14.7%, and 13.4% respectively, which helped upgrade the relevant countries' industries and enhance people's livelihood and welfare.
The SCO member countries have huge markets and strong endogenous dynamics, and their contribution to world economic growth continues to increase. In the next step, customs will earnestly implement the outcomes of the Tianjin summit, expand cooperation with other member countries in the fields of customs facilitation, inspection and quarantine, continue to optimize the port business environment, and provide more convenient and efficient customs clearance services to deepen trade and investment cooperation. Thank you!
This article was selected from the official website of the “Information Office of the State Council”, Zhitong Finance Editor: Feng Qiuyi.