Summary
China-ASEAN bilateral trade surpassed $1 trillion for the first time in 2025, reaching $1.05 trillion, a year-on-year increase of 7.4 percent. China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, while ASEAN has held the same position for China for six years running. In the first seven months of this year, bilateral trade totalled $744.41 billion, up 24.7 percent.
Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong told a State Council Information Office press conference that cumulative two-way investment had exceeded $515 billion as of July. The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo is scheduled for September 17-21, 2026, in Nanning, Guangxi.
Commentary
The trillion-dollar milestone in China-ASEAN trade, with the first seven months reaching $744.41 billion (up 24.7 percent), underscores accelerating regional supply chain integration. For New Zealand SMEs, China's tariff reductions on ASEAN goods under RCEP may erode the price advantage of NZ dairy and meat in the Chinese market, as Vietnamese and Thai competitors enter at lower cost. On the flip side, FTA 3.0 opens up digital and green sectors, and with the ASEAN Expo in September, companies can leverage regional cumulation of origin to export raw materials or technical services to ASEAN, then enter China tariff-free, bypassing direct tariffs.
Businesses should assess their product's position in the regional value chain rather than focus solely on bilateral trade figures.
Keywords: China-ASEAN trade, trillion US dollars, trade volume, ASEAN Expo, regional economic integration, Ministry of Commerce, Yan Dong
Source: China.org.cn
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