China import data 2026: January–July official totals

China imported US$1.84 trillion in goods in January–July 2026, an increase of 26.7% from the same period in 2025, according to a Ministry of Commerce briefing citing China Customs. In renminbi, imports were RMB12.69 trillion, up 22%.

These are rounded merchandise-trade totals for the first seven months, not a full-year result or a goods-and-services measure. They establish the overall goods-import value; choosing a product or customer segment requires a more specific comparison.

How much did China import in the first seven months of 2026?

The two currency series describe the same trade direction. Use the growth rate reported for the currency being compared rather than combining them.

For July alone, the government's published customs summary reported import growth of 21.2% in renminbi terms. That monthly comparison should be kept separate from the January–July cumulative rate.

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Discuss your data requirements. Share the country, trade direction, product or HS code, period and fields you need; request confirmation of coverage and a suitable sample.

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What does the ASEAN comparison show?

China imported US$272.73 billion from ASEAN in January–July 2026, up 24% year on year, according to the same MOFCOM briefing. ASEAN is a regional grouping, so this figure should be compared with other regional totals or broken down into member economies before building a country ranking.

For an exporter, the useful next question is narrower: which ASEAN economies supply the target product, in what quantities, and over which months? A regional total alone cannot identify the leading supplier of a particular product.

How to compare imports by product and supplier

Start with the product definition. Keep the HS edition and code level consistent across periods. A broad chapter and a detailed product heading answer different questions; a ranking for all goods also differs from a ranking within one product.

Build the comparison around five fields:

1. Product scope: record the HS code, code level and product description used in the query.
2. Period: compare the same months in each year, keeping monthly and cumulative results separate.
3. Partner definition: check whether the table identifies origin, consignment or another partner concept.
4. Measure: retain currency, valuation basis and quantity unit. Higher import value alone does not establish greater physical demand.
5. Coverage: document included records, exclusions, revisions and the denominator behind any market share.

Use a consistent national statistical series to size the market. Where transaction records are available for the requested scope, assess them separately for their coverage and useful fields before combining them with the statistical analysis. A selected commercial extract should not be described as a complete national total without reconciliation.

Turning the comparison into an export decision

Compare the target product across a small set of plausible supplier economies. Look for sustained purchasing activity across comparable periods, then test the opportunity against your product specifications, landed cost, delivery schedule and buyer requirements.

A national growth figure is a starting point for that work. The commercial decision should rest on a defined product and a reproducible comparison, followed by direct validation of customer demand.