Asia Dominates China’s Trade; Fastest Growth in Africa and Latin America
Asia accounts for over half of China’s trade, but growth momentum is shifting toward developing regions, especially Africa and Latin America, while North American flows weaken.
China’s global trade network remains anchored in Asia, which accounted for just over half of the country’s total trade in 2025. At USD 3.3 trillion, Asia is by far China’s largest trading region, reflecting the deep integration of East and Southeast Asian manufacturing supply chains and the continued importance of intra-regional flows in intermediate goods, components and industrial inputs.
Europe remains China’s second-largest partner with trade exceeding USD 1.2 trillion, although growth has been relatively modest in recent years as demand in advanced economies has softened.
The most dynamic expansion, however, is occurring in developing regions. Trade with Africa and Latin America has grown rapidly since 2020, recording compound annual growth rates of 13.2% and 11.6%, respectively. Africa also posted the fastest year-on-year increase in 2025, with trade rising 17.7%, underscoring the growing economic linkages between China and the continent through infrastructure development, commodity trade and expanding consumer markets. Latin America has also seen strong momentum, supported by Chinese demand for agricultural commodities and minerals, alongside rising exports of Chinese machinery, vehicles and electronics.
In contrast, China’s trade with North America has stagnated. The region accounted for just over 10% of China’s trade in 2025 and recorded a sharp decline during the year, reflecting the continued impact of tariffs, supply chain diversification and geopolitical tensions shaping U.S.-China economic relations.
Taken together, the data highlights a gradual rebalancing in China’s global trade geography: while Asia remains the structural core of China’s trade system, the fastest growth is increasingly coming from emerging markets across Africa and Latin America.
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