China's trade has remained resilient despite growing global economic uncertainty this year, with imports and exports continuing to show strength.

From January to July, China's exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grew by 14.8 percent, exports to the European Union rose 8.2 percent, and shipments to Belt and Road partner countries increased 11.7 percent.

Chinese companies are finding new markets overseas, helping boost the country's foreign trade.

The aroma of freshly processed tea fills the production workshop at Zhejiang Wafa Tea Co., Ltd. in Shaoxing, east China's Zhejiang Province. The company exported 300 million yuan ($41.94 million) worth of tea in the first seven months of 2025, a jump of more than 40 percent from last year.

"Consumers in North Africa and Central Asia tend to eat more beef and mutton but fewer vegetables," said Chen Maiping, the company's foreign trade manager. "Our exported gunpowder tea and Mee tea have a rich, robust flavor that perfectly suits local preferences."

The company has also expanded to Canada and Venezuela as the demand for tea grows. Overseas exhibitions and business partnerships have helped open these new markets.

"Shaoxing Customs has helped us stay updated on inspection and quarantine standards in different countries and optimize our production processes," Chen said. "We are now accelerating the construction of new facilities and warehouses to better seize market opportunities."

A worker operates machinery at a foreign trade company's production workshop in Huaying city, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Photo/Qiu Haiying)

Good product quality underpins the success of Chinese foreign trade enterprises in diversified markets. Chinese firms are boosting their global edge by strengthening research, upgrading operations, improving products and advancing technology, said Fu Linghui, spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics.

In addition to quality, many firms are leveraging opening-up policies to tap into new overseas markets.

Wood carving company Jilin Bailong Arts & Crafts in northeast China's Jilin Province saw exports rise 21.3 percent in the first seven months of 2025.

Company manager Song Xijun said their products range from large animal decorations and home items to wooden bows, hiking poles, office supplies and keychains.

"Germany, France and Japan remain our major traditional markets, but we are also seizing opportunities brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to expand in Southeast Asia," Song said.

"For instance, we incorporate local cultural elements into our designs and source some raw materials from ASEAN companies under preferential tariff arrangements by applying RCEP rules of origin, thanks to support from Changchun Customs. This helped us save more than 400,000 yuan in the first seven months of this year, significantly boosting price competitiveness," Song added.

Technicians at Zhejiang Yugong Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd. inspect and calibrate equipment components for export to the United States. (Photo/Yao Haixiang)

Beyond tariff reductions under free trade deals, companies also benefit from new policies like electronic records for processing trade, which make production planning easier.

Demand has grown in recent years for efficient, energy-saving rubber-tired intelligent gantry cranes in developing markets as ports accelerate modernization. From January to July 2025, the total trade for Jiangsu Rainbow Industrial Equipment Co., Ltd. in Taicang, east China's Jiangsu Province, nearly tripled from last year.

"Nearly 10 projects are now underway in Southeast Asia, along with another project involving 50 rubber-tired gantry cranes in Africa," said Zha Yan, deputy general manager of the company.

With help from Taicang Customs, the company set up electronic records for processing trade, allowing flexible material sourcing and duty-free imports of parts, easing capital pressures, Zha said.

All localities and government departments in China are stepping up efforts to maintain the stability of foreign trade, and help enterprises secure orders and expand the market, Fu said, adding that the effectiveness of these policies will continue.

Trade experts say market diversification is a necessary strategy for companies' long-term success.

At the same time, advances in information technology are empowering foreign trade enterprises in their market diversification efforts.

Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba.com now serves over 190 countries and regions, according to Chen Tang, head of integrated marketing operations. It has maintained steady growth in North America while ramping up investment in Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region in recent years.

"Our AI system covers all aspects of foreign trade processes for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)," Chen said.

For product listings, SMEs can use AI to create product images or promotional videos for multiple markets and languages, Chen said. For customer service, AI provides 24-hour support across markets and time zones, cutting costs and improving efficiency.

China is confident and well-prepared to continue promoting steady growth in and improving the quality of foreign trade, said He Yongqian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce.

The country is ready to work with more trading partners to tackle challenges and share growth opportunities, he added.

(Source: People's Daily)