China's foreign trade rises 3.5% in first seven months of 2025

China's foreign trade grew by 3.5 percent year-on-year to 25.7 trillion yuan ($3.58 trillion) in the first seven months of 2025, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on Thursday.

Exports rose by 7.3 percent year-on-year to 15.31 trillion yuan between January and July, while imports declined by 1.6 percent during the same period, totaling 10.39 trillion yuan.

In July alone, the country's trade value grew by 6.7 percent to 3.91 trillion yuan, customs statistics showed.

China's exports of mechanical and electrical products reached 9.18 trillion yuan during the seven-month period, an increase of 9.3 percent on a yearly basis. These products accounted for 60 percent of the nation's total exports.

In the meantime, trade with economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative rose by 5.5 percent year-on-year to 13.29 trillion yuan.

China's trade with its largest trading partner - the Association of Southeast Asian Nations –soared 9.4 percent on a yearly basis to 4.29 trillion yuan over the past seven months, accounting for 16.7 percent of the country's total foreign trade value.