Export Performance - In May 2025, China's total export value reached $316.1 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 4.8%, down 3.3 percentage points from the previous month[7] - Exports to the United States saw a significant decline, with a year-on-year drop of 30.7%, worsening by 11.5 percentage points compared to April[7] - High-tech products, including integrated circuits and automobiles, showed notable growth, with integrated circuit exports increasing by 33.4% year-on-year[19] Import Performance - In May 2025, China's total import value was $212.9 billion, reflecting a year-on-year decrease of 3.4%, a decline of 3.2 percentage points from the previous month[20] - Imports from the United States decreased by 18.13%, while imports from the European Union saw a marginal decline of 0.05%[20] - The demand for traditional bulk commodities continued to decline, with iron ore and crude oil imports showing negative growth rates of -5.2% and 0.3%, respectively[21] Trade Balance - The trade surplus for May 2025 was $103.2 billion, indicating a decrease from the previous month's surplus of $106.8 billion[7] - The overall trade volume in May 2025 was $528.98 billion, representing a year-on-year growth of 1.3%[7] Future Outlook - The external environment is expected to remain complex, with potential risks and opportunities for trade growth in 2025[23] - Domestic economic policies aimed at stabilizing growth may support a gradual recovery in import growth, despite ongoing challenges in the real estate market[23]

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry Core Insights - The report highlights a dual contraction in both export and import growth rates due to high base effects, with exports growing by 2.3% and imports declining by 8.4% in January-February 2025 compared to the previous year [8][19] - The external environment is described as complex and variable, suggesting that foreign trade growth may experience fluctuations in the future [22] Summary by Sections Export Analysis - In January-February 2025, China's total export value reached 539.94 billion USD, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 2.3%, which is a decrease of 3.6 percentage points from 2024 [8][10] - High base effects from 2024, where exports grew by 7.1%, are identified as the primary reason for the decline in growth rate [10][12] - Traditional export categories such as bags and footwear saw significant declines, with footwear exports down by 18.3% [16] - Exports of mechanical and electrical products accounted for 60% of total exports, growing by 4.2% [16][18] Import Analysis - The total import value for January-February 2025 was 369.43 billion USD, with a year-on-year decline of 8.4%, marking a 9.5 percentage point drop from 2024 [19][21] - The report attributes the decline in import growth to high base effects and ongoing domestic economic structural adjustments, particularly a reduced demand for traditional bulk commodities [19][21] - Specific imports from major trading partners showed varied growth rates, with imports from the US increasing by 2.7% while those from the EU and Japan decreased [19][21] Future Outlook - The report anticipates that the external environment will remain complex, with both risks and opportunities for exports in 2025, influenced by political changes in major trading partners [22] - For imports, a gradual recovery is expected due to domestic economic stabilization policies, although challenges remain from the real estate market and global trade barriers [24]

Export Performance - In January-February 2025, China's total export amounted to $539.94 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 2.3%, a decrease of 3.6 percentage points compared to 2024[8] - The high base effect from 2024, where exports grew by 7.1%, significantly impacted the current export growth rate[10] - Exports of traditional goods like bags and shoes saw substantial declines, with shoe exports down by 18.3% year-on-year[16] Import Performance - In January-February 2025, China's total import reached $369.43 billion, showing a year-on-year decline of 8.4%, a drop of 9.5 percentage points from 2024[19] - The decrease in imports is attributed to ongoing domestic economic restructuring and reduced demand for traditional bulk commodities like iron ore[19] - Imports from major trading partners showed varied performance, with imports from the EU and Japan declining by 5.6% and 4.9%, respectively[19] Trade Balance - The trade surplus for January-February 2025 was $170.52 billion, reflecting the difference between exports and imports[8] - The trade balance indicates a continued strong export performance despite the decline in growth rates[8] Future Outlook - The external environment for 2025 is expected to be complex, with potential risks and opportunities affecting export growth, particularly due to political changes in major trading partners[22] - Domestic economic policies aimed at stabilizing growth may support a gradual recovery in import growth, although challenges remain from high global trade barriers[24]

Group 1: CPI Inflation Analysis - February CPI inflation recorded at -0.7%, significantly lower than the previous value of 0.5% and market expectation of -0.4% [1] - The decline in CPI is primarily attributed to the high base effect from the Spring Festival and weak post-holiday demand, particularly in food prices, which fell by 0.5% month-on-month and saw a year-on-year decrease of 3.7 percentage points to -3.3% [2][4] - Core CPI inflation ended a four-month rise, dropping to -0.1%, the lowest level for the same period since 2015, with service prices declining significantly due to reduced demand post-holiday [4][5] Group 2: PPI Inflation Analysis - February PPI inflation stood at -2.2%, showing a slight recovery of 0.1 percentage points, while month-on-month it decreased by 0.1% [6] - The slow resumption of work post-holiday has led to weak prices for finished goods, with production materials and living materials prices remaining stable [6][7] - The outlook for PPI inflation suggests potential recovery as construction project funding pressures ease, which may accelerate project progress [8] Group 3: Forward-Looking Insights - The February inflation data fell short of expectations due to high base effects and slow resumption of work, with the government setting a CPI inflation target of around 2% for 2025, indicating ongoing pressure for price recovery [6][8] - The expected CPI inflation midpoint for the first quarter is around 0.2%, with an annual midpoint projected at 0.5%, while PPI inflation is anticipated to rise to around -2.0% in the first quarter and converge towards -1.6% for the year [8]