BEIJING -- China's foreign trade expanded 3.8 percent year-on-year in yuan terms in 2025, official data showed on Wednesday.

Last year, the country's foreign trade value hit 45.47 trillion yuan (about $6.48 trillion), according to data released by the General Administration of Customs. This marks the ninth consecutive year of growth for China's foreign trade since 2017.

Exports grew 6.1 percent year-on-year to 26.99 trillion yuan in 2025. Imports reached a record 18.48 trillion yuan, with year-on-year growth of 0.5 percent, cementing China's status as the world's second-largest import market for 17 years in succession.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), China's cumulative import and export value had exceeded 200 trillion yuan, representing a 40-percent surge from the 13th Five-Year Plan period and an average annual growth rate of 7.1 percent.

At a government press conference held in Beijing on Wednesday, Wang Jun, deputy head of the General Administration of Customs, said that China's foreign trade achievements are "truly remarkable and hard-won" amid global economic challenges.

Wang attributed the steady growth of China's foreign trade to three major drivers: The country's pro-trade stabilization policies, the sustained release of import demand from its vast domestic market, and a sophisticated industrial system that continuously adapts to evolving overseas needs.