Core Viewpoint - In the first quarter of 2025, China's foreign trade showed resilience with a total import and export value of 10.3 trillion yuan, marking a 1.3% increase year-on-year, despite external challenges [2][3]. Trade Performance - Exports reached 6.13 trillion yuan, up 6.9%, while imports fell to 4.17 trillion yuan, down 6% [2]. - Monthly growth trends indicated a recovery, with March seeing a 6% increase after a decline of 2.2% in January and stability in February [2]. - Key export categories included shipbuilding and marine engineering equipment, which grew by 10.8% and 16.2%, respectively, alongside significant increases in renewable energy products such as wind turbines (43.2%) and lithium batteries (18.8%) [2]. Private Sector and High-Tech Products - Private enterprises accounted for 5.85 trillion yuan in imports and exports, a 5.8% increase, representing 56.8% of total trade [3]. - High-tech product exports reached nearly 1 trillion yuan, with industrial robots increasing by 67.4% and high-end machine tools by 16.4% [3]. - Foreign-invested enterprises also showed growth, with a total import and export value of 2.99 trillion yuan, up 0.4% [3]. Regional Trade Dynamics - Trade with ASEAN countries reached 1.71 trillion yuan, growing by 7.1%, solidifying ASEAN's position as China's largest trading partner [3]. - Trade with EU countries increased by 1.4%, totaling 1.3 trillion yuan, highlighting the strong economic ties between China and Europe [3]. Belt and Road Initiative - Trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative reached 5.26 trillion yuan, a 2.2% increase, accounting for 51.1% of China's total foreign trade [4]. Response to External Challenges - The Chinese government is implementing necessary countermeasures against U.S. tariffs to protect its trade interests and uphold international trade rules [5]. - The focus remains on enhancing the business environment for foreign investments, with a commitment to high-level opening-up and mutual cooperation [6]. Future Cooperation and Market Diversification - The negotiation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 has been substantially completed, aiming to enhance cooperation in digital and green economies [8]. - The diversification of markets and deepening of supply chain cooperation are seen as key strategies to bolster resilience against external uncertainties [7]. AEO Certification Impact - In the first quarter, private enterprises with AEO certification saw export and import growth of 8.6% and 8.5%, respectively, outperforming the overall growth rates for private enterprises [8].