An Overview of Bilateral Trade between China and Central and Eastern European Countries in the First Half of 2025

(The Chinese version shall prevail.)

 

Customs statistics show that the total value of bilateral trade between China and Central and Eastern European countries (hereinafter referred to as CEE) was RMB 522.88 billion in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase (the same below) of 6.8%. Among them, the value of exports to CEE was RMB 425.66 billion, an increase of 11.4%, and that of imports from CEE was RMB 97.22 billion, a decrease of 9.7%.

 

The main features of bilateral trade between China and CEE in the first half of 2025 are as follows:

 

(I) M&E products and labor-intensive products were the main exported products.

 

In the first half of 2025, China exported RMB 289.2 billion of M&E products to CEE, an increase of 10.2%, accounting for 67.9% of the gross export value (the same below) from China to CEE over the same period. Among them, the value of electrical equipment & material reached RMB 38.25 billion, an increase of 36.5%; the value of automatic data processing machines and units and their parts and components reached RMB 24.47 billion, a decrease of 7.8%. Over the same period, the export of labor-intensive products reached RMB 66.62 billion, with an increase of 1.6%, accounting for 15.6% of the gross export value from China to CEE. Among them, the value of textiles and garments was RMB 31.59 billion, an increase of 5.8%, and that of plastic products was RMB 10.67 billion, an increase of 2.6%. In addition, the value of exported agricultural products reached RMB 5.28 billion, an increase of 14.8%, accounting for 1.2%; the value of exported foods reached RMB 2.92 billion, an increase of 23.4%.

 

(II) The primary imports consist of M&E products, metallic mineral ores, and copper materials.

 

In the first half of 2025, China imported RMB 67.49 billion of M&E products from CEE, a decrease of 9.9%, accounting for 69.4% of the gross import value (the same below) from CEE to China over the same period. Among them, the value of auto parts reached RMB 15.94 billion, a decrease of 15.2%; that of automobiles reached RMB 13.18 billion, a decrease of 3.2%. In the same period, the value of imported metal ore and ore sand reached RMB 8.05 billion, a decrease of 3%, accounting for 8.3% of the gross value of imports from CEE to China. The value of imported unwrought copper and copper material reached RMB 4.43 billion, a decrease of 4.7%, accounting for 4.6% of the gross value of imports from CEE to China. In addition, the value of imported agricultural products was RMB 1.24 billion, a decrease of 44.1%, accounting for 1.3% of the total value of imports, and that of imported food was RMB 890 million, a decrease of 23.8%.

 

(III) Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary were the top three trading partners.

 

China's import and export value with Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary reached RMB 165.92 billion, RMB 76.84 billion and RMB 67.18 billion respectively in the first half of 2025, with an increase of 6.9%, a decrease of 1.8% and an increase of 21.7% respectively, accounting for 31.7%, 14.7% and 12.8% of China's total import and export value with CEE in the same period.