BEIJING: China’s foreign trade will pick up pace this year as manufacturers shift towards more technology-intensive exports and strengthen ties with emerging markets, government officials and business leaders say.

They noted that Chinese exporters’ push for market diversification, along with improvements in regional connectivity and supply chains, is helping to bolster resilience and sustain long-term growth despite external headwinds.

According to data released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Monday, China’s foreign trade grew 3.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) to reach 29.57 trillion yuan (US$4.14 trillion) in the first eight months of 2025.

Exports increased 6.9% y-o-y to 17.61 trillion yuan between January and August, imports dipped 1.2% to 11.96 trillion yuan during the same period, the data showed.

Lyu Daliang, director of the GAC’s department of statistics and analysis, said China’s foreign trade growth in the first eight months was 0.6 percentage point higher compared with the first half of the year. — China Daily/ANN