Official GACC monthly series
China Trade Data 2021
Monthly exports, imports, trade balance, and year-to-date totals for China's goods trade.
China Trade Signals →China recorded a $670.4B goods trade surplus in 2021.
Total trade reached $6.04T, up 29.8% from 2020. Exports were $3.36T and imports $2.69T.
2021 full year · USD
Exports vs imports, 2021
China's top exports, imports and trading partners, Jan-Dec 2021 full year
Top export categories · Jan-Dec 2021 full year
Top 5 of 96 covered HS2 categories
| Category / partner | USD |
|---|---|
| Electrical machinery and equipment (HS 85) → | $890.2B |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances (HS 84) → | $544.3B |
| Furniture; bedding; lamps (HS 94) → | $134.5B |
| Plastics (HS 39) → | $128.2B |
| Vehicles (HS 87) → | $119.3B |
Top import categories · Jan-Dec 2021 full year
Top 5 of 96 covered HS2 categories
| Category / partner | USD |
|---|---|
| Electrical machinery and equipment (HS 85) → | $553.2B |
| Mineral fuels and oils (HS 27) → | $405.4B |
| Ores, slag and ash (HS 26) → | $271.7B |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances (HS 84) → | $209.7B |
| Optical and precision instruments (HS 90) → | $101.6B |
Top export destinations · Jan-Dec 2021 full year
Top 5 of 245 covered countries and territories
| Category / partner | USD |
|---|---|
| United States → | $567.2B |
| Hong Kong → | $346.5B |
| Japan → | $164.6B |
| South Korea → | $145.9B |
| Vietnam → | $136.2B |
Top import origins · Jan-Dec 2021 full year
Top 5 of 245 covered countries and territories
| Category / partner | USD |
|---|---|
| Taiwan → | $248.3B |
| South Korea → | $213.2B |
| Japan → | $205.0B |
| United States → | $178.4B |
| Australia → | $162.9B |
Trade growth · Jan-Dec 2021
Exports + imports · USD · Source: GACC. Growth compares the same months of 2020.
Fastest-growing trading partners
Top 5 positive YoY changes among 224 comparable entries
| Partner / category | 2020 | 2021 | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhutan | $13.6M | $108M | +695.1% |
| Nauru | $2.0M | $11.3M | +459.2% |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | $10.2M | $32.5M | +218.5% |
| Tuvalu | $16.2M | $46.5M | +187.6% |
| Wallis and Futuna | $882K | $2.4M | +177% |
Fastest-growing HS2 categories
Top 5 positive YoY changes among 96 comparable entries
| Partner / category | 2020 | 2021 | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works of art (HS 97) | $972M | $3.9B | +296.8% |
| Railway locomotives (HS 86) | $10.5B | $26.6B | +153.9% |
| Lead (HS 78) | $163M | $386M | +137% |
| Precious stones and metals (HS 71) | $49.6B | $104.4B | +110.6% |
| Cereals (HS 10) | $10.3B | $21.0B | +104.8% |
Monthly trade summary
| Month | Total | Exports | Imports | Balance | Total YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2021 Latest | $586.1B | $339.7B | $246.5B | $93.2B | +20.2% |
| November 2021 | $577.3B | $324.3B | $253.0B | $71.3B | +25.6% |
| October 2021 | $513.8B | $299.1B | $214.7B | $84.4B | +23.8% |
| September 2021 | $541.9B | $304.7B | $237.2B | $67.5B | +22.6% |
| August 2021 | $527.9B | $293.2B | $234.7B | $58.4B | +28.2% |
| July 2021 | $507.7B | $281.3B | $226.4B | $54.8B | +22.8% |
| June 2021 | $511.2B | $280.3B | $230.9B | $49.4B | +34.2% |
| May 2021 | $483.6B | $263.2B | $220.4B | $42.8B | +37.7% |
| April 2021 | $485.7B | $263.1B | $222.6B | $40.5B | +37.2% |
| March 2021 | $469.5B | $240.5B | $229.0B | $11.6B | +34.5% |
| February 2021 | $373.8B | $204.4B | $169.4B | $35.0B | +67.8% |
| January 2021 | $465.4B | $263.4B | $202.0B | $61.4B | +26.3% |
2021 full-year totals
| Metric | Full year 2021 (USD) | YoY (vs 2020 same span) |
|---|---|---|
| Total trade | $6.04T | +29.8% |
| Exports | $3.36T | +29.6% |
| Imports | $2.69T | +30.0% |
| Trade balance | $670.4B | +27.9% |
Continue exploring
Source
Source
Source: General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) monthly import and export statistics; last verified 2026-10-27.
Citation
Citation
China Data Portal, "China Trade Data 2021", https://chinadata.live/china-trade/2021/ Data as of December 2021. Source: General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) monthly import and export statistics. Accessed 2026-10-27.