China’s trade with ASEAN went up in the first five months of 2025 to account for 16.8% of the country’s total foreign trade, making the bloc its largest trading partner, according to the General Administration of Customs of China.

A cargo port in Tianjin, China.

From January to May, trade turnover between China and ASEAN reached 3.02 trillion RMB (420.5 billion USD), up 9.1% year-on-year.

This pushed ASEAN ahead of the EU and the US in trade rankings. The EU ranked second with 2.3 trillion RMB, up 2.9%, while the US stood at the third place.

China’s overall foreign trade during the period stood at 17.94 trillion RMB, up 2.5% from a year earlier. Exports rose by 7.2% to 10.67 trillion RMB while imports fell 3.8% to 7.27 trillion RMB.

In May alone, China’s trade hit 3.81 trillion RMB, with exports climbing 6.3% to 2.28 trillion RMB and imports down 2.1% to 1.53 trillion RMB.

Private enterprises continued to play a significant role in China's foreign trade, contributing 57.1% of the total value. Their export value alone accounted for 65.4%, or 6.97 trillion RMB, of total national exports.

The data reflect China’s ongoing economic recovery and the resilience of its foreign trade sector. Trade growth has been sustained, especially following the country's high-level economic and trade negotiations with the US.

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