China’s foreign trade achieved growth in 2025 despite global headwinds, with exports to Asia registering the highest increases, according to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs.

The data showed that China’s exports to Asia were dominated by high-tech products including integrated circuits, smartphones, and data processing equipment, with Industry experts attributing this trend to the alignment of these goods with Asian countries' needs for green, smart, and digital transformation.

"Asia is also a region with strong growth momentum, where demand for high-tech products is rising. China's industrial and supply chains are deeply integrated with Asian countries. Having taken a lead in industrialization, China is now leveraging its technology and experience to help these nations to accelerate their own industrial development," said Gao Lingyun, a research fellow at the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

After Asia, Africa and Europe accounted for similar shares of the growth in China's exports in 2025.

Customs data indicated that in 2025, China's exports to Africa grew by 26.5 percent year-on-year. From daily consumer goods such as textiles, footwear, and bags to major projects like offshore production platforms and container ships, Chinese products saw a major surge into Africa in 2025, becoming a key driver of China's overall export growth.

In addition, China's exports to Europe demonstrated new characteristics in 2025, with notable increases in items including tower fans and household air conditioners. Interestingly, ice cream exports to Europe also rose, with Chinese-made ice cream adding a touch of coolness to Europe's summer last year.