An aerial drone photo shows cargo ships and containers at a terminal of Yangzhou Port in East China’s Jiangsu Province on May 14, 2025. Photo: IC
The total trade value between China and the US in the first five months of 2025 declined by 8.1 percent, with the US remaining China’s third-largest trading partner, according to the latest customs data released on Monday.
During this period, bilateral trade between China and the US totaled 1.72 trillion yuan ($239 billion), accounting for 9.6 percent of China’s total foreign trade, slightly down from 10.2 percent in the first four months, data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed.
Specifically, from January to May, China’s exports to the US amounted to 1.27 trillion yuan, representing a decrease of 8.7 percent, while imports from the US fell by 6.3 percent to 447.51 billion yuan.
Compared to the January-April period, the year-on-year decline in China-US trade has accelerated. Earlier customs data showed that bilateral trade between the two countries decreased by 2.1 percent in the first four months.
This trend in China-US trade data was “expected,” as even though China and the US reached an agreement to significantly reduce reciprocal tariffs during the Geneva trade talks in May, US tariffs on Chinese goods remain high, prompting Chinese foreign trade companies to made adjustments by exploring alternative markets to reduce their reliance on the US, said Huo Jianguo, a vice chairman of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies in Beijing.
“At the same time, US buyers, unsettled by the negative impact of the US tariffs, are hesitating to place orders and adopting a wait-and-see approach,” Huo told the Global Times on Monday.
Data released on the same day showed that China’s trade with ASEAN, the EU, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries has maintained steady growth.
During the same period, ASEAN remained China’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching 3.02 trillion yuan, up 9.1 percent year-on-year and accounting for 16.8 percent of China’s total foreign trade.
The EU held its position as China’s second-largest trading partner, with trade growing by 2.9 percent from the previous year. Meanwhile, China’s total trade with BRI partner countries rose by 4.2 percent to 9.24 trillion yuan.
Despite the partial impact of US tariffs, Chinese companies have demonstrated strong operational and market expansion capabilities, Huo noted, saying that their efforts toward market diversification have proven effective, as other regions also hold vast demand potential.
Additionally, pressure can be mitigated by boosting domestic sales, expanding trade in services, and increasing overseas investment, which will help absorb tariff challenges, according to Huo.
Overall, China’s total goods trade in the first five months reached 17.94 trillion yuan, marking a 2.5 percent year-on-year increase.
Huo emphasized that China’s foreign trade sector remains highly resilient. China is actively rebalancing its export structure, and the trend toward diversification will help withstand external pressures, he added.
