Foreign firms in China continue to post trade growth in May

BEIJING -- Foreign-invested firms in China recorded a 4 percent year-on-year growth in exports and imports in May, marking the fourth consecutive month of growth, official data showed Monday.

The total trade volume of foreign enterprises in China reached 1.11 trillion yuan (over $154.47 billion) last month, according to the General Administration of Customs.

In the first five months of 2025, over 73,000 foreign enterprises in China were involved in export and import activities, the highest number for the same period in five years.

The combined trade volume of these companies reached 5.21 trillion yuan, up 2.3 percent year-on-year, accounting for 29 percent of the country's total trade and contributing 0.7 percentage points to the overall trade growth during the same period.

Monday's data also showed that China's total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms rose to 17.94 trillion yuan in the first five months of 2025, up 2.5 percent year-on-year.