At today's press conference, the spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce delivered a comprehensive update on the nation's foreign trade landscape and offered general comments on the recent U.S.-China trade talks and Beijing's principles on export controls.

The implementation of China's export controls on rare earths in early April has increased trade tensions with the United States. During the first month of these new restrictions, customs data reveals a 16.3% contraction in rare earth exports to the U.S., while China's overall

The Chinese government has slammed the EU-proposed measures to restrict the market access of Chinese medical device producers in the EU as "discriminatory" and "unilateral." This marks a new front in the EU-China trade conflict, affecting an industry with approximately $20 billion annual trade.

Chinese officials recently touted record-high trade with Africa last year and US$1.9 billion in new Chinese investment since last fall. With the 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo set to open next month, Beijing is continuing its strategic push for cooperation encompassing trade, industrial collaboration and emerging sectors.

Data from China's Customs shows China's agricultural imports from the United States have more than halved in recent months, a dramatic decline that follows escalating tariff disputes between the world's two largest economies.

A wave of tariff hikes imposed by major economies last year is beginning to reshape the global landscape of electric vehicle (EV) trade. A review of China's EV export data for the first quarter of 2025 shows a notable overall decline alongside some shifts in destination markets.

A press conference held by China's State Council Information Office provided an overview of the country's import and export performance in the first quarter of 2025. Touting the total trade in the first quarter reaching 10.3 trillion yuan (approximately 1.4 trillion USD), Chinese officials