Diversification, the password for improving foreign trade resilience (Reading · Annual Data Depth)
The total import and export value for the year reached a historical high of 45.47 trillion yuan, continuing to maintain its position as the world's largest trading nation in goods; The import and export achieved a rapid growth of 3.8%, which is the ninth consecutive year of growth and the longest continuous growth since China's accession to the WTO. In 2025, China's foreign trade will demonstrate strong resilience and vitality.
Upon closer inspection of this impressive transcript, 'diversity' is the most prominent label.
The market is more diverse. In April 2025, the United States announced the imposition of so-called "equivalent tariffs" on all trading partners, including China, and continuously escalated them, triggering an unprecedented tariff war. The wind and rain are about to come, and the world is holding its breath waiting for China to respond. At this moment, entering Yiwu International Trade City in Zhejiang, merchants calmly respond to market fluctuations and explore markets in Africa, Central Asia, and Latin America at their own pace; Entering Zhoushan Port in Ningbo, Zhejiang, on the real-time display screen of world routes, the route to Chinese ports is still the most dense one; When entering Khorgos Port in Xinjiang, the trains and cars bound for Central Asia are loaded with high-quality Chinese goods. In exploring emerging markets, China's foreign trade has enhanced its resilience to withstand storms.
The circle of friends in foreign trade is becoming larger and larger, with trading partners spread all over the world. By 2025, there will be 249 countries and regions trading with China globally, achieving growth in imports and exports with over 190 countries and regions. Among them, there are 14 countries and regions with trade scales exceeding one trillion yuan, 62 billion yuan, and 137 billion yuan respectively, an increase of 2, 6, and 10 from 2024. Our foreign trade is breaking away from dependence on a single market and developing towards greater balance.
Products are more diverse. Diversified foreign trade is not only the expansion of market territory, but also the improvement of quality and efficiency, and the iteration of development momentum. More and more "Made in China" products are adapting to international market demands through innovation, promoting global low-carbon transformation through green initiatives, and continuously increasing their "new content" and "green content". Taking artificial intelligence as an example, intelligent robots in China are not only capable of dancing, running marathons, and practicing Tai Chi, but also synonymous with efficient production. In overseas infrastructure and transportation project construction, handling robots equipped with vision systems and algorithms can intelligently avoid obstacles; Welding robots can automatically scan and model, and calculate the optimal welding solution. By 2025, the export growth rate of these two robots will be over 60%. Chinese goods not only enrich the lives of global consumers, but also deeply embed into the global supply chain, providing strong support for global industrial cooperation.
Imports are more diverse. Diversity is not a choice of 'being self-sufficient', but a practice of 'mutual benefit and win-win'. The sustained release of the huge market potential in our country also provides new opportunities for market development for the world. China's large market presents great opportunities for the world. The latest international data shows that in the first three quarters of 2025, China has become the main export destination for 79 countries and regions, an increase of 3 compared to the whole year of 2024. By 2025, China will import goods worth 18.48 trillion yuan, accounting for around 10% of the global import share. The effective release of production and consumption demand in the super large scale market provides vast market space and cooperation opportunities for countries.
A series of stable foreign trade policies help enterprises stabilize orders and expand markets, providing solid guarantees for diversified foreign trade. Cross border trade facilitation policies and measures are being tested and replicated nationwide to help enterprises reduce costs and promote efficient and smooth cross-border logistics.
The logistics channel connecting Tongjiang and Dahai extends to more markets, paving a broader path for diversified foreign trade. At Yantai Port in Shandong Province, the shipping volume of China Africa liner ships will increase by 49% year-on-year in 2025, reaching a historic high and connecting with the Chinese market and African characteristic industries; At Ningbo Zhoushan Port, the world's first China Europe Arctic container fast shipping route has been opened, providing faster and low-carbon international logistics options for China's high-end manufacturing, cross-border e-commerce, new energy and other industries; Driven by the China Europe Express, the new land sea channel in the west, the China Laos railway and other open channels, the provinces and regions along the border are gradually moving towards the forefront of opening up.
Diversity is the confidence that China has in responding to external risks and challenges, and it is also the password for improving the resilience of foreign trade. In the new year, the external environment is increasingly uncertain and unpredictable, and the pressure to stabilize foreign trade is still significant. However, China's innovative development in trade is more solid, its advantages are more prominent, and its trading partners are more diverse. It will withstand the test of high winds, waves, and even storms, and will inject certainty and bring new opportunities for global economic and trade development.