China's foreign trade up 4% in first 9 months

China's foreign trade grew by 4 percent year-on-year to 33.61 trillion yuan ($4.71 trillion) in the first three quarters of 2025, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on Monday.

Exports rose 7.1 percent year-on-year to 19.95 trillion yuan between January and September, while imports dipped 0.2 percent to 13.66 trillion yuan during the same period.

In September alone, China's imports and exports totaled 4.04 trillion yuan, up 8 percent on a yearly basis.

China's exports of mechanical and electrical products reached 12.07 trillion yuan in the first nine months, up 9.6 percent year-on-year and accounting for 60.5 percent of the nation's total exports.

Meanwhile, China's trade with economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative increased 6.2 percent year-on-year to 17.37 trillion yuan, customs data showed.