China’s imports rose 5.7% yoy to the highest in nearly four years of USD 243.64 billion in December 2025, picking up from a 1.9% gain in the previous month and easily surpassing market forecasts of 0.9%. It was the seventh straight monthly increase and the fastest pace since September, underscoring resilient year-end demand amid Beijing’s policy support and pre-Lunar New Year restocking. For 2025 as a whole, imports stalled at USD 2.58 trillion, with stronger demand from Japan (5.5%), Hong Kong (72.6%), Taiwan (6.0%), South Korea (3.1%), and India (9.7%) offsetting declines from the U.S. (-14.6%), ASEAN (-1.6%), the EU (-0.4%), and Russia (-3.9%). By product, import values rose for automatic data equipment (18.2%), high-tech goods (9.3%), and integrated circuits (10.1%), but fell for refined oil (-18.2%), natural gas (-13.0%), steel (-10.7%), and coal & lignite (-30.6%). Purchases in 2026 are expected to remain modest, hinging on domestic demand, policy support, and global trade ties. source: General Administration of Customs

Imports YoY in China increased to 5.70 percent in December from 1.90 percent in November of 2025. Imports YoY in China averaged 13.29 percent from 1991 until 2025, reaching an all time high of 85.90 percent in January of 2010 and a record low of -43.10 percent in January of 2009. This page includes a chart with historical data for China Imports YoY. China Imports YoY - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on February of 2026.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2025-12-08 03:00 AM
Imports YoY
Nov 1.9% 1% 2.8% 2.5%
2026-01-14 03:00 AM
Imports YoY
Dec 5.7% 1.9% 0.9%
2026-03-10 03:00 AM
Imports YoY
Jan-Feb 5.7%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade 114.14 111.68 USD Billion Dec 2025
China Trade Balance – Yuan Terms 808.80 792.58 CNY Billion Dec 2025
Exports 357.78 330.35 USD Billion Dec 2025
Exports YoY 6.60 5.90 percent Dec 2025
Exports – Yuan Terms 2345.63 2171.63 CNY Billion Nov 2025
Imports 243.64 218.67 USD Billion Dec 2025
Imports YoY 5.70 1.90 percent Dec 2025
Imports – Yuan Terms 1553.06 1531.14 CNY Billion Nov 2025
Terms of Trade 94.50 93.90 points Dec 2025


China Imports YoY
Machinery and transport equipment dominate China’s import mix, accounting for about 38% of total inbound shipments. Key components within this category include electrical machinery and appliances (21%), road vehicles (4%), telecommunications and audio-visual equipment (3%), and office machines and data-processing equipment (3%). China also imports significant volumes of mineral fuels, lubricants, and related materials (17%), driven largely by petroleum and petroleum products (13%) and natural and manufactured gas (3%). Crude, inedible materials excluding fuels make up 14% of imports, with metalliferous ores and metal scrap contributing 9%. Chemicals and related products represent 11% of total imports, led by organic chemicals (3%) and plastics in primary forms (3%). Additional import categories include miscellaneous manufactured articles (7%), manufactured goods classified chiefly by material (7%), and food and live animals (4%). The European Union is China’s largest source of imports, supplying 13% of the total, with Germany (5%) and France (2%) being major contributors. Other key import partners include South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan (each around 8%), followed by the United States and Australia (6% each). Brazil provides about 4%, while Malaysia, Vietnam, Russia, and Saudi Arabia each account for roughly 3%, and Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia about 2% apiece.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
5.70 1.90 85.90 -43.10 1991 - 2025 percent Monthly
NSA

News Stream
China Import Growth Beats Estimates
China’s imports rose 5.7% yoy to the highest in nearly four years of USD 243.64 billion in December 2025, picking up from a 1.9% gain in the previous month and easily surpassing market forecasts of 0.9%. It was the seventh straight monthly increase and the fastest pace since September, underscoring resilient year-end demand amid Beijing’s policy support and pre-Lunar New Year restocking. For 2025 as a whole, imports stalled at USD 2.58 trillion, with stronger demand from Japan (5.5%), Hong Kong (72.6%), Taiwan (6.0%), South Korea (3.1%), and India (9.7%) offsetting declines from the U.S. (-14.6%), ASEAN (-1.6%), the EU (-0.4%), and Russia (-3.9%). By product, import values rose for automatic data equipment (18.2%), high-tech goods (9.3%), and integrated circuits (10.1%), but fell for refined oil (-18.2%), natural gas (-13.0%), steel (-10.7%), and coal & lignite (-30.6%). Purchases in 2026 are expected to remain modest, hinging on domestic demand, policy support, and global trade ties.
2026-01-14
China Imports Rise for 6th Month
China’s imports rose 1.9% yoy to USD 218.7 billion in November 2025, accelerating from 1.0% in the prior month and marking the sixth consecutive month of growth. A trade truce with the U.S. reached during the month may have boosted buying activity, but growth still lagged the 2.8% forecast, reflecting weak labor market conditions, soft consumer confidence, and cautious business spending. Over the first ten months of the year, imports fell 0.6% to USD 2.34 trillion, weighed down by weaker demand from the U.S. (-13.2%), the ASEAN countries (-1.2%), the EU (-2.1%), and Russia (-5.9%). During the period, import values of refined oil (-19.3%), natural gas (-14.3%), steel (-10.9%), and coal & lignite (-33.5%) dropped, while automatic data equipment (18.2%), high-tech products (8.8%), and integrated circuits (9.2%) rose. Purchases in 2026 are expected to remain modest, with growth hinging on domestic demand, policy support, and global trade relations.
2025-12-08
China Import Growth at 5-Month Low
China’s imports rose 1.0% yoy to USD 215.3 billion in October 2025, the lowest in four months, decelerating from a 7.4% surge in the prior month and missing market estimates of 3.2%. While marking the fifth straight month of growth, the latest result was the weakest pace since May, highlighting subdued domestic demand despite holiday spending, and unsettled job markets. Tensions between Beijing and Washington flared in early October after President Trump threatened 100% tariffs on Chinese goods in response to Beijing’s expanded export curbs on rare earth metals. The situation eased after a meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping in South Korea last week, where both leaders agreed to extend their trade truce, originally set to expire on Nov. 10, for another year. For the first ten months of the year, China’s imports fell 0.9% to USD 2.12 trillion, weighed down by declines from the U.S. (-11.9%), the EU (-1.7%), and Russia (-5.9%), while imports from ASEAN countries were little changed.
2025-11-07


International Trade
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