Value of imports into China by month 2022-2024

In September 2024, the total value of imports to China amounted to around 222 billion U.S. dollars. This indicated a slight increase in import value compared to the same period of the previous year. 

Import trade partners

As of 2022, China was the world’s second-largest importer of merchandise goods, representing 10.6 percent of worldwide imports. Over the last decade, the value of imports to China has increased significantly.
In 2023, ASEAN and the European Union were China’s most important import trade partners, with an import value of about 2.73 trillion yuan and 1.98 trillion yuan respectively. About 86 percent of China’s imports from the European Union were manufactured goods; the main import commodities to China were machinery and transport equipment.

Trade balance

With a merchandise trade surplus of more than 877 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, China is still the nation with the highest trade surplus worldwide. Despite the pandemic, China exported nearly 3.6 trillion U.S. dollar-worth of goods in 2022, setting another record in history. Nevertheless, a rising number of economists have estimated a downturn in China's economic development recently.