Imports to China increased by 6.5 percent year-on-year to a record high of USD 203.7 billion in December of 2020, after a 4.5 percent rise a month earlier and above market consensus of a 5 percent increase. This was the fourth straight month of growth in inbound shipments, supported by improving domestic demand and higher commodity prices. Purchases rose for both coal (1,619.85%), natural gas (18.06%). In contrast, imports fell for crude oil (-15.42%), refined products (-34.35%), unwrought copper (-2.78%), copper ores & concentrates (-2.23%), iron ore (-4.5%), steel products (-7.28%), soybeans (-21.16%), and rubber (-2.06%). Considering the whole 2020, purchases dropped by 1.1 percent. Imports from the US however, were up 9.8 percent. source: General Administration of Customs

Imports in China averaged 583.42 USD HML from 1981 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 2037.54 USD HML in December of 2020 and a record low of 13.88 USD HML in February of 1983. This page provides - China Imports - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. China Imports - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on January of 2021.

Imports in China is expected to be 1700.00 USD HML by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Imports in China to stand at 1900.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the China Imports is projected to trend around 1920.00 USD HML in 2022, according to our econometric models.

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China Imports

Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
2037.54 1926.49 2037.54 13.88 1981 - 2020 USD HML Monthly
Current Prices, NSA


Calendar GMT Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2020-10-13 03:00 AM Sep 13.2% -2.1% 0.3% 0.5%
2020-11-07 03:00 AM Oct 4.7% 13.2% 9.5% 10.5%
2020-12-07 03:00 AM Nov 4.5% 4.7% 6.1% 5.2%
2021-01-14 03:00 AM Dec 6.5% 4.5% 5%
Go to our Calendar for more events. Or learn more about the Calendar API for direct access.


News Stream
China Imports Reach New Record
Imports to China increased by 6.5 percent year-on-year to a record high of USD 203.7 billion in December of 2020, after a 4.5 percent rise a month earlier and above market consensus of a 5 percent increase. This was the fourth straight month of growth in inbound shipments, supported by improving domestic demand and higher commodity prices. Purchases rose for both coal (1,619.85%), natural gas (18.06%). In contrast, imports fell for crude oil (-15.42%), refined products (-34.35%), unwrought copper (-2.78%), copper ores & concentrates (-2.23%), iron ore (-4.5%), steel products (-7.28%), soybeans (-21.16%), and rubber (-2.06%). Considering the whole 2020, purchases dropped by 1.1 percent. Imports from the US however, were up 9.8 percent.
2021-01-14
China Imports Rise Less than Forecast
Imports to China increased by 4.5 percent year-on-year to USD 192.65 billion in November 2020, after a 4.7 percent rise a month earlier and missing market consensus of a 6.1 percent increase. This was the third straight month of growth in inbound shipments, supported by improving domestic demand and higher commodity prices. Imports were up for unwrought copper (16.2 percent), iron ore (8.3 percent), steel products (78.3 percent), soybeans (15.8 percent), and rubber (11.8 percent). Conversely, purchases were down for crude oil (-0.8 percent), natural gas (-3 percent), copper ores & concentrates (-15.1 percent), coal (-43.8 percent), and edible vegetable oil (-23 percent). Among key trade partners, imports rose from ASEAN (11 percent), the EU (4.5 percent), the US (32.7 percent), Taiwan (21.7 percent), South Korea (5.9 percent), Japan (7.1 percent), and Australia (9.2 percent).
2020-12-07
China Imports Rise Less than Forecast in October
Imports to China rose by 4.7 percent year-on-year to USD 178.74 billion in October 2020, after a 13.2 percent surge a month earlier and less than market estimates of a 9.5 percent increase. This was the second straight month of growth in inbound shipments, as domestic demand recovery from the COVID-19 shocks continued. Purchases of unwrought copper and copper products jumped 43.4 percent yoy to 618,108 tonnes. Also, imports of iron ore grew 14.9% to 106.74 million tonnes, with arrivals from both Brazil and South Africa increasing. In addition, purchases of soybean soared 41% to 8.69 million, due to rising cargoes from Brazil and the US. In contrast, imports of crude oil fell 6.7% to 42.56 million tonnes.
2020-11-07
China Imports Beat Forecasts to Hit Record High
Imports to China jumped 13.2 percent year-on-year to an all-time high of USD 202.8 billion in September 2020, far above market expectations of a 0.3 percent rise and following a 2.1 percent drop a month earlier. This was the first increase in imports in three months, as the domestic demand recovery from the pandemic shock continued. Imports were up for crude oil (17.6 percent), natural gas (5.5 percent), unwrought copper (62.3 percent), copper ores & concentrates (35.2 percent), iron ore (9.3 percent), steel products (159.2 percent), soybeans (19.4 percent) and rubber (58.6 percent). Among key trade partners, imports rose from the US (24.7 percent), Taiwan (35.8 percent), ASEAN (13.2 percent), South Korea (17.2 percent) and Japan (13.4 percent). Meanwhile, imports from Australia declined 9.5 percent.
2020-10-13

China Imports
In 2019 imports to China fell 2.7 percent, the first yearly decline in three years, on weak domestic demand and persistent trade tensions with the US. Machinery and transport equipment accounted for 38 percent of total imports on the back of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances (21 percent), road vehicles (4 percent), telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (3 percent), and office machines and automatic data processing machines (3 percent). Other important categories were: mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials (17 percent) led by petroleum, petroleum products and related materials (13 percent) and gas, natural and manufactured (3 percent); crude materials, inedible, except fuels (14 percent), such as metalliferous ores and metal scrap (9 percent); chemicals and related products (11 percent) due to organic chemicals (3 percent) and plastics in primary forms (3 percent); miscellaneous manufactured articles (7 percent); manufactured goods classified chiefly by material (7 percent); and food and live animals (4 percent). The biggest source of imports was the EU (13 percent of imports) of which Germany (5 percent) and France (2 percent), followed by South Korea, Taiwan, Japan (8 percent each), the US and Australia (6 percent each), Brazil (4 percent), Malaysia, Vietnam, Russia and Saudi Arabia (3 percent each), and Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia (2 percent each).
China Imports by Country Last Previous
European Union 34693700.00 24717800.00 USD THO Feb/20
Taiwan 20332200.00 20366200.00 USD THO Dec/20
Japan 18334700.00 16385800.00 USD THO Dec/20
United States 16585000.00 14558700.00 USD THO Dec/20
South Korea 15912600.00 16137200.00 USD THO Dec/20
Germany 11877000.00 10560600.00 USD THO Dec/20
Australia 9512500.00 9489400.00 USD THO Dec/20
Vietnam 9261700.00 8646000.00 USD THO Dec/20
Malaysia 8013900.00 6565800.00 USD THO Dec/20
Brazil 6347800.00 7027700.00 USD THO Dec/20
Russia 5159700.00 4437000.00 USD THO Dec/20
Thailand 4629300.00 4122300.00 USD THO Dec/20
Indonesia 4311200.00 3438500.00 USD THO Dec/20
France 4086700.00 3540500.00 USD THO Dec/20
Saudi Arabia 3688563.00 2897890.00 USD THO Nov/20
Singapore 2785300.00 2668600.00 USD THO Dec/20
Chile 2552163.00 2360082.00 USD THO Nov/20
Italy 2503000.00 2315900.00 USD THO Dec/20
South Africa 2158800.00 2056200.00 USD THO Dec/20
Philippines 2025600.00 1817400.00 USD THO Dec/20
China Imports by Category Last Previous
Mechanical & Electrical Products 99989200.00 93317400.00 USD THO Dec/20
High-&-new-tech Products 70939900.00 66989700.00 USD THO Dec/20
Integrated Circuit 34795800.00 33181800.00 USD THO Dec/20
Fuels & Related Materials 20272504.00 19140348.00 USD THO Nov/20
Agricultural Products 17263100.00 15170800.00 USD THO Dec/20
Crude Petroleum (value) 12453600.00 13697300.00 USD THO Dec/20
Iron Ore & Concentrates 11742700.00 11786600.00 USD THO Dec/20
Iron Ores & Concentrate 11742700.00 11786600.00 USD THO Dec/20
Motor Vehicles & Chassis 6156200.00 5447300.00 USD THO Dec/20
Automatic Data Proc. Eq. & Components 4884900.00 4574800.00 USD THO Dec/20
Unwrought Copper & Copper Products 3892500.00 3994700.00 USD THO Dec/20
Iron & Steel 3821013.00 3329037.00 USD THO Nov/20
Measuring Instruments 3755354.00 3442669.00 USD THO Nov/20
Liquefied Petroleum Gas 3606700.00 2804600.00 USD THO Dec/20
Copper Ore & Concentrate 3481400.00 3355600.00 USD THO Dec/20
Copper Ores & Concentrate 3481400.00 3355600.00 USD THO Dec/20
Pharmaceuticals 3359400.00 3461000.00 USD THO Dec/20
Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Products 3329414.00 2421201.00 USD THO Nov/20
Soybean 3268000.00 4008400.00 USD THO Dec/20
Parts of Motor Vehicles 3121300.00 3081900.00 USD THO Dec/20

United Nations Comtrade Database
Exports by Country  |   Exports by Category  |   Imports by Country  |   Imports by Category