Foreign trade shows steady increase in first five months

Chinese exporters' accelerated shift toward higher-value manufacturing and their sustained focus on innovation will continue to anchor China's foreign trade growth this year, government officials, manufacturers and experts said on Monday.

As China works to consolidate its position in global industrial chains amid rising geopolitical tensions, Chinese companies' large-scale production capabilities, innovation strength, industrial upgrades and market diversification moves will keep driving export growth in the second half of the year, they said.

Liang Ming, director of the Institute of International Trade at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said that China's robust industrial ecosystem, characterized by tight intersector partnerships and operational efficiencies, provides enormous stability for the nation's foreign trade supply networks.

Data from the General Administration of Customs shows that China's foreign trade grew 2.5 percent year-on-year to reach 17.94 trillion yuan ($2.5 trillion) in the first five months of 2025.

Lyu Daliang, director of the administration's department of statistics and analysis, said the Chinese economy has continued to recover steadily since the beginning of the year, with the trade in goods demonstrating strong resilience despite external pressures.

China's imports and exports maintained a steady growth momentum last month, with a notable acceleration following high-level economic and trade talks between China and the United States in Geneva, Switzerland, in mid-May, Lyu said.

According to the GAC, China's total value of goods trade reached 3.81 trillion yuan last month, up 2.7 percent year-on-year.

Xiao Lu, deputy director of the department of foreign trade at the Ministry of Commerce, said that amid global supply chain restructuring and de-risking trends, Chinese manufacturers have ramped up high-tech innovation, fostering innovation chains alongside industrial clusters.

Wang Qian, a researcher specializing in international trade at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, said that China's export growth has been primarily driven by mechanical and electrical product exports in recent years.

"A growing range of products is fueling export growth through increasingly innovative activities and integrated supply chain collaboration," Wang said.

Latest data from the GAC shows that China's mechanical and electrical product exports increased 9.3 percent year-on-year to 6.4 trillion yuan between January and May, accounting for 60 percent of the country's total exports.

Since the beginning of the year, leading contributors to export expansion have included integrated circuits, computers, electric vehicles and energy-efficient container ships.

Ningbo Healthmate Science and Technology Development, a fitness equipment manufacturer in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, saw its export value surge 23.85 percent year-on-year to 135 million yuan in the first five months, thanks to the soaring demand in the Middle East for its latest smart running machines, according to Ningbo Customs.

"Our innovative product combines smart connectivity, social fitness features and sleek design in a compact, versatile machine for homes and offices, offering both running and walking modes," said Wu Fengjie, the company's president.

Hong Zhi, president of Dasqua Technology, a precision measuring equipment manufacturer in Chengdu, Sichuan province, said that since mid-May, the company's clients in the US states of California, New York and Michigan have been seeking expedited shipments.

The fastest batch has already been dispatched from Shanghai, with new orders increasing by around 10 percent last month, Hong said.

From January to May, Dasqua exported measuring tools worth $4.5 million, up 10 percent year-on-year, with demands surging in emerging markets, according to Chengdu Customs.

zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn