China’s Service Trade Surges 8.2% to $644.2 Billion in 2025

China’s trade in services demonstrated robust growth in the first seven months of 2025, driven by a significant uptick in travel-related services. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, the total trade in services reached 4.58 trillion yuan (approximately $644.2 billion), reflecting an increase of 8.2 percent compared to the same period last year.

Strong Exports and Imports Highlight Growth

During this period, service exports amounted to around 2 trillion yuan, marking a remarkable increase of 15.3 percent year-on-year. In contrast, service imports grew by 3.3 percent, reaching 2.58 trillion yuan. This resulted in a trade deficit of 581.56 billion yuan, indicating the ongoing demand for imported services despite the overall growth.

Travel-related services were a standout segment, showing strong momentum with an increase of 10.4 percent year-on-year, totaling 1.26 trillion yuan. Notably, exports of these services surged by an impressive 62.9 percent, underscoring the recovery and increasing interest in travel as restrictions from the pandemic continue to ease.

Growth in Knowledge-Intensive Services

Additionally, trade in knowledge-intensive services saw a healthy rise of 6.8 percent, surpassing 1.77 trillion yuan. This reflects China’s strategy to enhance its service economy by focusing on sectors that require specialized knowledge and skills, contributing to long-term economic resilience.

The strong performance in the service sector aligns with China’s broader economic recovery plans, which have placed a significant emphasis on service-oriented growth. As travel demand rebounds and knowledge-intensive services expand, the outlook for China’s trade in services appears optimistic.