An aerial drone photo shows the container terminal of Lianyungang Port in east China's Jiangsu Province, Jan 13, 2025. Photo:Xinhua

China's total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms rose to 33.61 trillion yuan ($4.73 trillion) in the first nine months of 2025, up 4 percent year-on-year, demonstrating exceptional resilience and vitality despite mounting pressures brought about by a complex external environment, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Monday.

Experts said the better-than-expected results underscore the international competitiveness of Chinese products and China's solid standing in the global merchandise trade system, which will contribute to the stability and smooth running of global industrial and supply chains while injecting fresh confidence and vigor into global free trade amid rising protectionism and unilateralism from certain Western countries.

Forecasts beaten

From January to September, China's goods exports led the overall expansion, surging 7.1 percent year-on-year to 19.95 trillion yuan, while imports stood at 13.66 trillion yuan, a slight decrease of 0.2 percent, GAC data showed.

In September alone, China's goods imports and exports increased by 8 percent year on year to 4.04 trillion yuan - marking the highest monthly increase so far this year.

"Against the backdrop of a volatile international environment, especially the US' sweeping tariffs that caused severe disruption to global trade order, China's foreign trade growth rate of 4 percent in the first nine months is beyond my expectation," Bao Jianyun, dean and professor of the Department of International Politics at the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Monday.

The remarkable performance of China's export sector reflects the strong resilience and international competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing, and indicates that certain Western countries' protectionist tariffs have limited impact on China's solid standing in the merchandise trade system, Bao said.

Since the beginning of 2025, China's foreign trade has sustained a steady and positive development trend amid a complex external environment, Wang Jun, deputy head of the GAC, said at a press conference on Monday.

The expansion of China's goods trade has accelerated quarter by quarter, with the growth rate amounting to 6 percent in the third quarter of this year, following 1.3-percent and 4.5-percent increases in the first and second quarters, respectively, Wang said. Wang also highlighted that China's foreign trade market has become more diversified. 

In the first nine months of 2025, China's goods trade with Belt and Road partner countries totaled 17.37 trillion yuan - 6.2 percent higher than a year earlier, GAC data revealed. Trade with ASEAN, Latin America, Africa and Central Asia grew by 9.6 percent, 3.9 percent, 19.5 percent and 16.7 percent year on year, respectively, while that with other economies in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation increased by 2 percent, according to the GAC.

Wan Zhe, an economist and professor at the Belt and Road School of Beijing Normal University, highlighted that China's exports bear the hallmark of shifting toward new and high-quality products.

In the first three quarters, China's exports of electromechanical goods reached 12.07 trillion yuan, rising by 9.6 percent year-on-year and accounting for 60.5 percent of its total export value. It's worth noting that the export of "new trio" products, namely electric vehicles, solar batteries and lithium-ion batteries, as well as green products such as electric locomotives have recorded double-digit growth, according to the GAC.

"In addition, the country's import sector has witnessed growth for the fourth straight month in September, indicating continuous recovery in domestic industrial cooperation thanks to the sustained unleashing of domestic demand amid policy support," Wan told the Global Times on Monday.

In recent years, many domestically popular products have become global bestsellers, a trend that has emerged as a new highlight of China's foreign trade exports. Over the first three quarters, China exported over 50 billion yuan worth of festive items, dolls, and animal-shaped toys - many of which fall under the category of domestically popular products - to over 200 countries and regions. The global popularity of these products reflects the influence of traditional Chinese culture, demonstrates the creativity of export-oriented enterprises, and relies on the solid strength of "Made in China", GAC deputy head Wang Jun said.

Strong resilience

Looking ahead, China boasts multiple advantages in maintaining stable foreign trade growth for the rest of the year, including ample policy room, ongoing export market diversification, the emergence of new drivers and new business models, as well as resilient supply chains, Wan said.

This year, certain countries' abuse of tariffs has undermined the multilateral trading system, disrupted global trade order, affected normal production and trade of enterprises, caused harm to the businesses, and seriously disrupted the economic development of all countries, sparking widespread international opposition, said Lü Daliang, a spokesperson and director of the Department of Statistics and Analysis of the GAC, at the same conference on Monday.

China is always firmly committed to supporting and upholding the multilateral trading system, promoting the stability and smooth flow of global industrial and supply chains, and injecting certainty and stability into global economic growth, Lü said.

Amid mounting external pressure and domestic challenges, China's economy grew by 5.3 percent year-on-year in the first quarter this year. China continues to be a major engine of global economic growth, making the international community aware of the strong resilience of the world's second-largest economy and its bright prospects of high-quality development.

"China's economy boasts a stable foundation, numerous strengths, strong resilience, and great potential, with the fundamental trend of long-term positive development remaining unchanged. Our ultra-large market and complete industrial system confer superior advantages, while imports and exports maintain resilience and vitality. All these factors will support the country's stable foreign trade development in the next phase," Wang said.

It's worth noting that Chinese lawmakers in September reviewed a draft revision to the Foreign Trade Law, which incorporates a series of reform measures into national legislation, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The draft revision seeks to elevate multiple reform measures to national law, including a negative list system for managing cross-border trade in services, as well as reform measures on promoting new forms and models of foreign trade, encouraging digital trade and establishing a green trade system, in an effort to ensure their implementation.

Against the backdrop of rising unilateralism and trade protectionism globally, China has consistently served as a steadfast advocate and key defender of global trade liberalization and the free trade system. Through high-level opening-up and safeguarding the smooth and stable running of global industrial and supply chains, China consistently helps other economies enhance production efficiency and contribute to global economic growth, Bao said.