In August, China's total import and export volume reached US$541.3 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.1%. Of this, the total export volume amounted to US$321.8 billion, growing by 4.4% year-on-year, marking the sixth consecutive month of positive growth.
According to the Cailian APP, on September 21, Cui Dongshu published an article stating that the General Administration of Customs recently released import and export data for January to August 2025. In August, China's total import and export volume was $541.3 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.1%. Of this, the total export value was $321.8 billion, growing by 4.4% year-on-year, marking positive growth for six consecutive months. China’s exports to the United States in August fell by 33.1% year-on-year. In August, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and India made significant contributions to exports, while trade deficits with Australia, South Korea, Brazil, Switzerland, and Chile were relatively large. The entry of Chinese automobiles into these markets would yield better trade balance outcomes. In terms of average export prices by category: the export prices of apparel, footwear, mobile phones, and tires declined rapidly, whereas industries such as motorcycles demonstrated high-quality development, and automobile performance was also commendable, reflecting strong global demand for Chinese consumer goods.
1. Explosive Growth in China's Merchandise Trade Exports
Over the past 40 years, China's trade exports have experienced explosive growth, rising from $22 billion in 1981 to $3,577 billion in 2024, demonstrating a robust export growth trend.
Amidst challenges lie opportunities. Despite numerous difficulties, China’s export performance over the past three years, impacted by the pandemic, has been extremely robust, providing solid support to the national economy. It has effectively promoted both the normal supply of essential goods for people worldwide and employment and income growth domestically. The surge in China’s exports has led to a supercharged boom in global maritime trade, driving an ongoing shipbuilding boom that continues to this day.
Particularly noteworthy is the strong growth in China’s merchandise trade surplus, transitioning from persistent trade deficits up to 1980 to continuous surpluses after 1994. By 2024, the trade surplus had reached a high of $991.8 billion, showcasing excellent export performance.
2. Trends in China's Merchandise Trade Exports
China's merchandise trade exports demonstrated relatively stable performance overall in 2025, particularly showing robust growth in August when exports reached a high level of $321.8 billion. This represents a notably stable trend at a high level compared to the trajectory since 2021, especially with a peak of $325.2 billion in June 2025. Overall, China’s merchandise exports in 2025 exhibited strong and steady growth characteristics.
3. Performance of China's Main Export Destinations
In recent years, China’s foreign trade exports have shown an exceptionally strong growth trend, with an increase of $135.8 billion from January to August 2025. During this period, exports reached a high level of $2,451.8 billion.
Notably, China recorded substantial trade surpluses with Western countries in 2025. From January to August, the surplus with the United States amounted to $185.8 billion, with Hong Kong at $185.8 billion, and with India and Vietnam reaching approximately $70 billion each. Despite factors such as U.S.-led disruptions and weak global demand, China’s overall export performance remained exceptionally strong.
In 2025, the most significant year-on-year export growth for China was seen in intermediate countries and regions re-exporting to the United States. Chinese products performed strongly in these areas, although some traditional intermediary countries exporting to the U.S. showed average performance.
4. The overall trade surplus between China and the U.S. remained favorable.
Following the onset of the Biden administration in 2021, China’s exports to the United States experienced exceptionally strong growth due to pandemic-related factors, increasing from $452.1 billion in 2020 to $581.6 billion in 2022, indicating a powerful growth trend. From 2021 to 2025, China’s exports to the U.S. maintained excellent and robust growth momentum.
In terms of China's trade surplus with the United States, it has maintained a strong annual surplus of over USD 300 billion in recent years. The surplus for January to August this year, when annualized, is also close to USD 300 billion, and the surplus in August continued to show a favorable trend.
5. The performance of automobile exports has been particularly outstanding.
China’s main export commodities are electromechanical products and high-tech products, which have seen robust growth, including electronic components and electronic technologies, both of which are showing extremely strong growth.
Looking at individual product performance, mobile phone exports in January to August 2022 slightly declined from a previous high, but integrated circuits demonstrated strong growth. Passenger vehicle exports reached their highest level in 2025, while auto parts also hit record highs, reflecting an extraordinary surge.
6. Average export prices of certain goods
The trends between the total volume and total value of Chinese exports vary significantly. Prices of some goods have remained relatively firm in recent years, especially container ships, refrigerators, and motorcycles, which performed well. However, considering the price ranges across months within the year, average prices of items such as luggage, shoes and hats, tires, photovoltaic solar panels, and steel dropped significantly, reaching their lowest points of the year. Efforts to address internal competition primarily target these items that experienced significant price declines.
7. Lithium-ion battery exports
Lithium batteries, as an important competitive product among the 'new three essentials,' have demonstrated excellent export performance, high profits, and a strong market. Since Biden took office in 2020, lithium battery exports have been one of China’s standout performers. In 2021, exports amounted to $28.4 billion, rising to $50.9 billion in 2022, and reaching an ultra-high level of $64.9 billion in 2023. However, by 2024, growth began to slow. This year, lithium-ion battery exports have remained stable at around $6 billion per month, with July-August climbing to $7 billion, mirroring last year's consistent upward trend.
8. Export Trend of Solar Cells
Solar cells, as another key product among the 'new three essentials,' have shown significant fluctuations in export performance, with serious declines over the past two years amid intense industry competition. The outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine crisis triggered explosive growth in solar cell exports. In 2020, the overall trend was relatively stable, while in 2021, there was a noticeable upward trajectory. Subsequently, in 2022, solar cell exports experienced a strong surge, reaching $92.8 billion. However, in 2023, with the stabilization of the overall energy situation, solar cell exports fell back to $87.6 billion. By 2024, they dropped to $61.2 billion, and from April to July 2025, exports continued to decline sharply. In August, they rebounded to $5.8 billion, only $0.9 billion higher than the same period in 2024, showing signs of recovery.
9. Trend of Automobile Exports
Automobile exports have performed exceptionally well in recent years, surging from $34.5 billion in 2021 to $117.4 billion in 2024, marking explosive growth. Moreover, in 2025, automobile exports continue to show small but steady monthly increases.
Among the 'new three essentials,' only lithium batteries have maintained high growth, while automobile exports also hit record highs from April to August, demonstrating strong vitality in China’s automotive sector.
10. Trend of Auto Parts Exports
The automotive parts and complete vehicles represent two entirely distinct demand systems, targeting completely different markets, thus resulting in significant differences in growth rates. China's independent complete vehicle exports generally do not enter the U.S. market, whereas the U.S. is a primary market for China's automotive parts exports. China's automotive parts industry achieved ultra-high export values early on, with exports from March to August this year maintaining a level above USD 8 billion, which is historically high.
Trend of motorcycle export value
Motorcycles and complete vehicles represent two entirely distinct demand systems, facing completely different markets, hence leading to considerable differences in growth rates. China’s complete vehicle exports generally avoid the U.S. market, while China’s motorcycle exports target a diversified range of markets. In recent years, China’s motorcycle industry has achieved exceptionally high export values, with robust export growth rates.