Country intelligence · CHN · 2024

China trade profile

In 2024, China recorded $3.5T in merchandise exports and $2.3T in imports, producing a $1.2T trade surplus. Exports changed +6.0% from the previous year, while imports changed -0.3%.^[1]

Exports

$3.5T

+6.0%

Imports

$2.3T

-0.3%

Trade balance

$1.2T

surplus

Active partners

270

27 FTA-linked

Historical evidence

Ten-year trade movement

The bars compare exports and imports on the same scale. The accompanying table preserves the exact values so the trend is usable without interpreting a graphic.

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

ExportsImports

Exact annual values

Year	Exports	Imports	Balance	Export growth
2024	$3.5T	$2.3T	$1.2T	+6.0%
2023	$3.3T	$2.3T	$981.6B	-6.4%
2022	$3.5T	$2.4T	$1.1T	+9.3%
2021	$3.2T	$2.4T	$819.8B	+26.7%
2020	$2.6T	$1.9T	$675.0B	+1.2%
2019	$2.5T	$1.9T	$635.1B	-1.3%
2018	$2.6T	$1.9T	$618.5B	+8.8%
2017	$2.4T	$1.7T	$657.8B	+8.6%
2016	$2.2T	$1.4T	$718.2B	-5.6%
2015	$2.3T	$1.5T	$792.9B	-2.4%

Leading export sectors

HS2 chapters rank broad product groups by observed export value in 2024.

HS 85 · Electrical machinery

262 active HS6 lines · 200 export partners

$1.0T

HS 84 · Machinery

515 active HS6 lines · 200 export partners

$585.4B

HS 87 · Vehicles

87 active HS6 lines · 200 export partners

$208.1B

HS 39 · HS chapter

129 active HS6 lines · 200 export partners

$135.0B

HS 94 · HS chapter

42 active HS6 lines · 200 export partners

$112.0B

HS 73 · HS chapter

124 active HS6 lines · 200 export partners

$98.6B

HS 29 · Organic chemicals

384 active HS6 lines · 196 export partners

$90.6B

HS 95 · HS chapter

31 active HS6 lines · 200 export partners

$84.1B

Leading export markets

Destinations rank bilateral export flows from China; growth describes each corridor rather than the whole economy.

United States

Annual change +3.9% · 3-year CAGR -4.0%

$453.7B

Hong Kong

Annual change +5.3% · 3-year CAGR -2.0%

$174.3B

Japan

Annual change -2.3% · 3-year CAGR -3.3%

$156.6B

Vietnam

Annual change +16.1% · 3-year CAGR 5.2%

$148.4B

South Korea

Annual change -2.4% · 3-year CAGR 0.1%

$142.0B

Germany

Annual change +0.2% · 3-year CAGR -0.2%

$138.4B

India

Annual change +3.3% · 3-year CAGR 11.0%

$124.3B

Mexico

Annual change +12.3% · 3-year CAGR 8.7%

$114.6B

Sources, definitions and limitations

[1] Primary trade source

OECD Bilateral International Merchandise Trade Statistics, harmonised by Yugalinks at country-year, HS2 and bilateral-corridor levels. Coverage shown here is 1995–2024 where observations are available.

Calculation notes

USD values are aggregated from reported merchandise records. YoY compares consecutive annual totals; three-year CAGR is the mart-provided compound annual growth rate. Missing values are not inferred.

Data sources Methodology Open country workspace