That dollar amount results from a 38.1% upturn compared to $2.588 trillion five years earlier during 2020.
Year over year, the overall value of mainland China’s exported goods advanced by 5.5% from $3.389 trillion in 2023.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2024, the Chinese yuan has depreciated by -1.7% against the US dollar from 2023 to 2024. China’s weakening local currency makes Chinese exports paid for in relatively stronger US dollars less expensive year over year.
Mainland China’s biggest export products by value in 2024 were led by phone devices including smartphones, computers, electronic integrated circuits, cars, then electric storage batteries. In aggregate, those major exports approached one-fifth (17.9%) of the China’s overall exports sales. That percentage plus a quick perusal of the commodities themselves suggest a fairly diversified range of exported goods.
China ranks among world-leading nations for exporting cell phones, electronic circuit components and automotive parts or accessories.
In 2024 mainland China generated 15.1% of all global sales of exported goods versus 13.8% one year prior.
China’s Best Customers for its Exports
The latest available country-specific data shows that 55.6% of products exported from China was bought by importers in: United States of America (14.7% of the Chinese total), Hong Kong (8.1%), Vietnam (4.5%), Japan (4.3%), South Korea (4.1%), India (3.4%), Russia (3.2%), Germany (3%), Malaysia (2.8%), Netherlands (2.55%), Mexico (2.52%) and Thailand (2.4%).
From a continental perspective, almost half (48.2%) of mainland China’s exports by value was delivered to fellow Asian countries while another 20.7% was sold to importers in Europe. China shipped 18.5% worth of goods to buyers in North America.
Smaller percentages went to clients in Latin America (5.2%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (5%) and Oceania (2.4%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given China’s population of 1.41 billion people, its total $3.575 trillion in 2024 exported products translates to about $2,500 for every resident in the East Asian economic powerhouse. That per-capita dollar amount surpasses the average $2,400 one year earlier in 2023.
China’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups categorize the highest dollar value in Chinese global shipments during 2024. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from China.
- Electrical machinery, equipment: US$928 billion (26% of total exports)
- Machinery including computers: $568.3 billion (15.9%)
- Vehicles: $216.1 billion (6%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $141.3 billion (4%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: $126.4 billion (3.5%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $100.1 billion (2.8%)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $85.4 billion (2.4%)
- Organic chemicals: $82.6 billion (2.3%)
- Toys, games: $82.5 billion (2.3%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $72.5 billion (2%)
China’s top 10 export product categories accounted for just over two-thirds (67.2%) of the overall value of its global shipments.
Vehicles represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 12.1% from 2023 to 2024.
In second place for improving export sales was machinery including computers, propelled by an 11% gain.
China’s shipments of plastics, both as materials and items made from plastic, posted the third-fastest gain in value up by 6.6%.
The lone year-over-year decliner among China’s top 10 export categories was the toys and games classification, thanks to its -7.4% drop.
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more granular view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, see the section Searchable List of China’s Most Valuable Export Products below.
Searchable List of China’s Most Valuable Export Products
At the more granular four-digit HTS code level, the following searchable table displays 100 of the most in-demand goods shipped from the People’s Republic during 2024. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2023.
| Rank | China's Export Product | Value (US$) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phone devices including smartphones | $214,946,258,000 | -2.1% |
| 2 | Computers, optical readers | $160,696,188,000 | +7.2% |
| 3 | Integrated circuits/microassemblies | $160,012,331,000 | +17.2% |
| 4 | Cars | $90,239,829,000 | +16.2% |
| 5 | Electric storage batteries | $66,618,519,000 | -4.6% |
| 6 | Automobile parts/accessories | $56,693,438,000 | +6.3% |
| 7 | Solar power diodes/semi-conductors | $48,153,311,000 | -21.6% |
| 8 | Electrical converters/power units | $46,444,036,000 | -0.4% |
| 9 | Flat panel displays | $45,284,159,000 | +16.3% |
| 10 | Processed petroleum oils | $42,366,341,000 | -12.5% |
| 11 | Lamps, lighting, illuminated signs | $42,201,751,000 | +2.4% |
| 12 | Cruise/cargo ships, barges | $40,109,193,000 | +59.7% |
| 13 | Models, puzzles, miscellaneous toys | $39,909,486,000 | -2.4% |
| 14 | Miscellaneous furniture | $36,476,561,000 | +5.1% |
| 15 | TV receivers/monitors/projectors | $35,515,842,000 | +9.6% |
| 16 | Cases, handbags, wallets | $34,557,377,000 | -4.2% |
| 17 | Computer parts, accessories | $34,137,846,000 | +18.6% |
| 18 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $33,009,967,000 | +2.3% |
| 19 | Seats (excluding barber/dentist chairs) | $32,052,555,000 | +5.2% |
| 20 | Electric water heaters, hair dryers | $31,767,038,000 | +8.4% |
| 21 | Insulated wire/cable | $31,380,942,000 | +10.7% |
| 22 | Air or vacuum pumps | $28,141,153,000 | +13.8% |
| 23 | Air conditioners | $26,201,155,000 | +21.8% |
| 24 | Footwear (rubber or plastic) | $24,693,146,000 | -6.8% |
| 25 | Women's clothing (not knit or crochet) | $23,922,446,000 | -4.7% |
| 26 | Taps, valves, similar appliances | $23,182,782,000 | +9.1% |
| 27 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $22,316,220,000 | +6.9% |
| 28 | Rubber tires (new) | $22,249,629,000 | +4.3% |
| 29 | Miscellaneous iron and steel structures | $21,302,805,000 | +7.1% |
| 30 | Jerseys, pullovers (knit or crochet) | $20,632,922,000 | +3% |
| 31 | Synthetic yarn woven fabrics | $20,302,142,000 | +4% |
| 32 | Printed circuits | $20,188,001,000 | +15.1% |
| 33 | Hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products | $18,860,035,000 | +17.3% |
| 34 | Electrical machinery | $18,418,804,000 | +4% |
| 35 | Refrigerators, freezers | $18,332,761,000 | +17.8% |
| 36 | Microphones/headphones/amps | $17,530,441,000 | -5.2% |
| 37 | Miscellaneous iron or steel items | $17,522,289,000 | +8.4% |
| 38 | Flat-rolled iron/non-alloy steel goods (plated/coated) | $17,249,048,000 | +0.6% |
| 39 | TV/radio/radar device parts | $17,231,414,000 | +8.4% |
| 40 | Sports equipment | $17,198,175,000 | +11.8% |
| 41 | Special containers | $17,042,791,000 | +105.4% |
| 42 | Miscellaneous machinery | $16,182,360,000 | +22.5% |
| 43 | Plastic tableware, kitchenware, toiletry | $16,136,361,000 | +1.2% |
| 44 | Electric motors, generators | $15,777,034,000 | +7.5% |
| 45 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $15,225,558,000 | +7.2% |
| 46 | Women's clothing (knit or crochet) | $15,017,761,000 | -3.8% |
| 47 | Centrifuges, filters and purifiers | $14,763,328,000 | +14% |
| 48 | Pneumatic hand tool | $14,643,524,000 | +22.7% |
| 49 | Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators) | $14,599,797,000 | +2.7% |
| 50 | Machinery parts | $14,550,807,000 | +2.1% |
| 51 | Motorcycles | $14,532,672,000 | +25.4% |
| 52 | Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels | $14,142,240,000 | +5.3% |
| 53 | Printing machinery | $13,948,963,000 | +1.4% |
| 54 | Table games, bowling equipment | $13,943,741,000 | -34.8% |
| 55 | Trucks | $13,892,390,000 | +19.5% |
| 56 | Base metal mountings, fittings | $13,736,024,000 | +3% |
| 57 | Liquid pumps and elevators | $13,657,264,000 | +12.1% |
| 58 | Electromechanic domestic appliances | $13,572,758,000 | +19.3% |
| 59 | Polyacetal/ether/carbonates | $12,777,680,000 | +18.9% |
| 60 | Gold (unwrought) | $12,462,258,000 | +205.7% |
| 61 | Footwear (textile) | $12,249,762,000 | -2.8% |
| 62 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $12,114,823,000 | +7.7% |
| 63 | TV receiver/transmit/digital cameras | $11,957,291,000 | +11.4% |
| 64 | Jewelry | $11,739,542,000 | -18.4% |
| 65 | Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays) | $11,380,372,000 | +9.1% |
| 66 | Heterocyclics, nucleic acids | $11,318,193,000 | -7% |
| 67 | Mattresses, quilts | $11,083,660,000 | +6.4% |
| 68 | T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet) | $10,995,821,000 | +20.8% |
| 69 | Men's suits, trousers (not knit or crochet) | $10,881,732,000 | -3.2% |
| 70 | Other than warp-knit fabrics | $10,834,869,000 | +5.3% |
| 71 | Iron and steel tables, household items | $10,823,417,000 | -0.9% |
| 72 | Aluminum plates, sheets, strips | $10,415,829,000 | +21.9% |
| 73 | Transmission shafts, gears, clutches | $10,407,457,000 | +4.5% |
| 74 | Motorcycle parts/accessories | $9,786,882,000 | -3.1% |
| 75 | Linens | $9,771,105,000 | +2.5% |
| 76 | Iron and steel screws, bolts, nuts, washers | $9,574,222,000 | +4.2% |
| 77 | Piston engine parts | $9,481,462,000 | +10.4% |
| 78 | Carnival items, magic tricks | $9,377,902,000 | -2.3% |
| 79 | Temperature-change machines | $9,285,996,000 | +10.3% |
| 80 | Packaged insecticides/fungicides/herbicides | $8,999,429,000 | +11.3% |
| 81 | Miscellaneous articles, dress patterns | $8,503,482,000 | +5.7% |
| 82 | Fork-lift trucks | $8,430,328,000 | +14.1% |
| 83 | Tobacco products, nicotine substitutes | $8,373,091,000 | +0.4% |
| 84 | Lifting/loading machinery | $8,346,274,000 | +17.4% |
| 85 | Rubber/plastic article making machines | $7,876,550,000 | +20.5% |
| 86 | Footwear (leather) | $7,841,558,000 | -8% |
| 87 | Other measuring/testing machines | $7,669,402,000 | +7.6% |
| 88 | Synthetic filament yarn | $7,630,881,000 | +1.4% |
| 89 | Electric motor parts | $7,556,343,000 | +6.1% |
| 90 | Light vessels, fire boats, floating docks | $7,535,111,000 | +42.8% |
| 91 | Tractors | $7,368,690,000 | -2.4% |
| 92 | Vacuum cleaners | $7,284,144,000 | +9.9% |
| 93 | Iron or steel tubes, pipes | $7,194,893,000 | -12.3% |
| 94 | Electric generating sets, converters | $7,075,917,000 | +11.5% |
| 95 | Plastic tile or roll coverings | $7,075,915,000 | +0.4% |
| 96 | Women's underwear, pajamas (knit or crochet) | $7,068,964,000 | +5.3% |
| 97 | Stockings, hosiery (knit or crochet) | $7,048,436,000 | +1.5% |
| 98 | Moulding boxes/base | $6,939,880,000 | +5.4% |
| 99 | Electrical lighting/signaling equpment, defrosters | $6,821,910,000 | +7.7% |
| 100 | Brooms, brushes | $6,791,806,000 | +1% |
These 100 exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$2.372 trillion or about two-thirds (66.3%) by value for all products exported from mainland China during 2024.
Products Creating China’s Greatest Trade Surpluses
Mainland China garnered an overall US$988.2 billion trade surplus in 2024 expanding by 19.1% from $829.4 billion in black ink during one year earlier for 2023.
The following types of Chinese product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Electrical machinery, equipment: US$342.9 billion (Down by -1.6% since 2023)
- Machinery including computers: $338.8 billion (Up by 7.8%)
- Vehicles: $153.8 billion (Up by 26.1%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: $124.2 billion (Up by 4.7%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $90.8 billion (Up by 1.9%)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $81.5 billion (Up by 3.1%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $80.2 billion (Up by 13.7%)
- Toys, games: $80 billion (Down by -7.5%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $61.9 billion (Down by -5.6%)
- Ships, boats: $49.2 billion (Up by 56.4%)
China has highly positive net exports in the international trade of electrical machinery including consumer electronics, as well as under the machinery including computers classification. In turn, these cashflows indicate China’s strong competitive advantages for products under pertinent machinery categories.
Products Causing China’s Biggest Trade Deficits
Below are exports from China that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country China’s goods trail Chinese importer spending on foreign products.
- Mineral fuels including oil: -US$449.3 billion (Down by -0.9% since 2023)
- Ores, slag, ash: -$247.5 billion (Up by 5.7%)
- Gems, precious metals: -$82.9 billion (Up by 0.3%)
- Copper: -$58.8 billion (Up by 11.2%)
- Oil seeds: -$58 billion (Down by -12.7%)
- Pharmaceuticals: -$30.1 billion (Down by -5.2%)
- Woodpulp: -$22.2 billion (Down by -5.8%)
- Meat: -$21.5 billion (Down by -16.3%)
- Cereals: -$14 billion (Down by -28.3%)
- Fruits, nuts: -$12.8 billion (Up by 0.2%)
China has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for mineral fuels-related products notably crude oil, petroleum gas and coal.
These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate China’s competitive disadvantages in the international mineral fuels-related market, but also represent key opportunities for China to improve its position in the global economy through focused innovations.
Mainland China’s Major Export Companies
China placed about 150 corporations on the Forbes Global 2000. Below is a sample of the major Chinese export companies that Forbes included.
- Aluminum Corporation of China (aluminum)
- BYD (cars, trucks)
- Dongfang Electric (electrical equipment)
- Dongfeng Motor Group (cars, trucks)
- Gree Electric Appliances (household appliances)
- Midea Group Co. Ltd. (household appliances)
- PetroChina (oil, gas)
- SAIC Motor (cars, trucks)
- Sinopec-China Petroleum (oil, gas)
- Sinopharm Group (pharmaceuticals)
- Tsingtao Brewery (beverages)
According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following smaller companies are also examples of leading Chinese exporters.
- APLL (beddings, clothing)
- Carven Industries (furniture, building stone)
- Maersk Logistics China (footwear, bedding, clothing)
- UPS SCS China (chairs, beddings)
- Winners Products Engineering (cooking appliances, sheets, charcoal)
In macroeconomic terms, China’s total exported goods represent 9.6% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2024 ($37.072 trillion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 9.6% for exports to overall GDP in PPP in 2024 compares to 10.3% for 2023. Those percentages suggest a relatively decreasing reliance on products sold on international markets for China’s total economic performance, albeit based on short timeframe.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. China’s unemployment rate averaged 5.1% for 2024, down from an average 5.217% in 2023 per metrics from the International Monetary Fund.
See also China’s Top 10 Imports, China’s Top Trading Partners, Top Chinese Trade Balances, China’s Top 10 Major Export Companies and China’s Exported Services, Taiwan’s Top 10 Exports, Macau’s Top 10 Exports and Hong Kong’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on February 15, 2025
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on February 15, 2025
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 15, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on February 15, 2025
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on February 15, 2025
Richest Country Reports, Key Statistics Powering Global Wealth. Accessed on February 15, 2025
Wikipedia, China. Accessed on February 15, 2025
Wikipedia, List of Companies of China. Accessed on February 15, 2025
X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: Chinese Yuan Renminbi to US Dollar (monthly average 2024). Accessed on February 15, 2025
Zepol’s company summary highlights by country. Accessed on February 15, 2025