Which Markets Shape China's Cross-Border Export Power?

China has long been known for exporting much outside the country, while keeping imports comparatively low. This strategy has helped the country grow into one of the world's largest economies in a short period of time. The same strategy applies to eCommerce, although not everyone likes it. 

How Much Did China Export in 2024 via eCommerce? 

With export eCommerce revenues of US$180.7 billion last year, the Chinese market ranks second in the world, just behind the United States with US$684.5 billion. Compared to that, the country's import value is relatively small, with revenues of US$29.8 billion in 2024 – one-sixth of its export value. 

Behind China's high cross-border export figure lie marketplaces such as Tmall and AliExpress. In 2024, Tmall generated almost 4% of its US$498 billion GMV by exporting to countries outside its domestic market, with Singapore, South Korea, and Japan leading the way. Alibaba's AliExpress achieved even more, with over 97% of its US$61.2 billion GMV earned from overseas. While Tmall has an important presence in Southeast Asia, AliExpress has a significant reach in Western countries such as the United States, France and Spain. 

SEA as the Most Prevalent Region for China’s Exports 

Looking at China's top 10 export destinations, a general trend towards SEA (Southeast Asia) can be seen, as was already the case for Shopee. Topping the list are countries such as Thailand in 2nd place with US$10 billion, followed by Vietnam and Indonesia with US$9.8 billion and US$8.5 billion respectively. There are also West Asian countries such as Japan in 5th place and South Korea in 8th place.  

Their proximity to China's coasts makes them logistically easy to trade with. In addition, there are trade agreements between these countries that facilitate economic exchange, including through eCommerce. 

China vs. United States: Between Partnership and Rivalry 

And what about the top cross-border eCommerce destination? The United States are the largest recipient of goods from China. In 2024, US$10.9 billion, equivalent to 6% of China's total annual eCommerce export revenue, was earned by exporting to the U.S. This makes the U.S. a key trading partner for China and vice versa. 

Since the beginning of the year and Trump's comeback as U.S. president, the partnership between these countries has become more tense. Donald Trump wants to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 20% as part of a broader trade policy. China has retaliated with its own tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods and export restrictions on rare earth metals – but the story is not over yet, and it remains to be seen which tariffs will actually be implemented.