Data show 'sky won't fall' for China's trade

In the first quarter of 2025, China's foreign trade showed steady performance, with the total goods trade volume increasing by 1.3 percent year-on-year to 10.3 trillion yuan ($1.41 trillion), according to the General Administration of Customs.

Exports rose 6.9 percent to 6.13 trillion yuan, while imports declined 6 percent to 4.17 trillion yuan year-on-year. Although imports fell in the first three months of this year, the growth rate of the overall import and export value has rebounded — it fell 2.2 percent in January, remained unchanged in February and grew by 6 percent in March.

The data indicate that the country has maintained its position as the world's second-largest importer for 16 consecutive years, with an average annual growth rate of 5.4 percent, and its share in global imports has also steadily increased from 7.9 percent to 10.5 percent.