On January 14, 2026, the State Council Information Office held a press conference where Wang Jun, Deputy Commissioner of the General Administration of Customs, stated that China's import and export performance in 2025 was remarkable, marking a successful conclusion to the foreign trade objectives of the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's foreign trade weathered the stormy external environment, with cumulative import and export volume exceeding 200 trillion yuan—a 40% increase over the 13th Five-Year Plan period. Leveraging its massive trade scale, continuously improving product quality, and formidable resilience against market turbulence, China has steadily advanced its development as a major trading nation.

First, in terms of scale, China has solidified its position as a major goods trading nation. Over the past five years, China's total import and export value successively surpassed the thresholds of 40 trillion yuan and 45 trillion yuan, reaching 45.47 trillion yuan in 2025—a 41.1% increase from 2020 with an average annual growth rate of 7.1%. China's share of global imports remained around 10%, with cumulative imports exceeding 90 trillion yuan over the five-year period, while its share of global exports stayed above 14%. China is projected to maintain its position as the world's largest goods trading nation in 2025.

Second, in terms of quality, China's goods trade has continuously optimized and upgraded. The “innovation content” and “green content” of foreign trade have steadily increased. Over the past five years, imports and exports of high-tech products grew at an average annual rate of 7.9%. By 2025, the year-on-year growth rate accelerated further to 11.4%, contributing nearly 60% to overall foreign trade growth. Exports of the “new trio” products—electric vehicles, photovoltaic products, and lithium batteries—reached nearly 1.3 trillion yuan in 2025, a 3.5-fold increase from 2020. New business models and formats have flourished. According to preliminary customs statistics, China's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports totaled 2.75 trillion yuan in 2025, up 69.7% from 2020.

Finally, in terms of resilience, China's capacity to withstand risks and shocks has significantly improved. Over the past five years, the path toward trade diversification has broadened considerably. The latest international data shows that China has become a major trading partner for over 160 countries and regions, an increase of more than 20 compared to 2020. Foreign trade enterprises have demonstrated their ability to recognize and adapt to change, growing stronger through adversity and embodying the spirit of perseverance and success. Private enterprises have consistently played a pivotal role in stabilizing foreign trade, contributing about 80% of the growth in foreign trade during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Foreign-funded enterprises in China have remained committed to deepening their roots in the country, maintaining unwavering confidence. By 2025, the number of foreign-funded enterprises with import and export records had increased by more than 1,700 compared to 2020. The import and export scale of state-owned enterprises has remained stable with steady growth.

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