Customs data primarily consists of original import and export transaction records of nations (or regions), reflecting their foreign trade activities. Through international trade and participation in global division of labor, countries can optimize resource allocation, conserve social labor, assimilate advanced scientific and technological achievements worldwide, confront competitive pressures from international markets, and foster domestic technological innovation and industrial upgrading. However, foreign trade is also influenced by multiple factors including international relations, development strategies, and epidemic prevention. Therefore, we can analyze the following critical issues from national (or regional) customs statistics:

• Resource Endowments and Economic-Technological Development. The foundation of international trade lies in disparities among nations regarding factor distribution, production capabilities, and technological advancement, which create differentials in market supply-demand dynamics. Countries expand production of advantageous goods while reducing disadvantageous ones, exchanging surplus products for deficient commodities through international trade. Customs data thus reveals comparative advantages, resource endowments, and economic-technological development status of nations (or regions).

• Level of Openness. Import-export trade operates within regulated markets where governments implement tariff policies, procedural requirements, and service provisions to manage trade activities, reflecting their openness strategies. In recent years, China has significantly enhanced its openness through initiatives like free trade ports, pilot zones, China-Europe Railway Express, New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, "Single Window" integration with Belt and Road countries, and AEO mutual recognition. The effectiveness of these policies can be evaluated through customs data.

• Epidemic Containment. Port health quarantine constitutes a crucial component of international trade. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted variations in national containment policies, altered international trade environments, and elevated demands for health quarantine technologies. Customs data effectively demonstrates nations' (or regions') risk response capabilities and positions within global supply chains.

  The CnOpenData China Customs Statistics Database systematically organizes import-export trade statistics from China's General Administration of Customs, comprising 18 sub-tables covering: annual/monthly aggregate trade values, country/region distributions, commodity compositions, chapter-wise trade values, trade mode breakdowns, enterprise ownership structures, consignee/consignor locations, domestic destinations/sourcing origins, customs district distributions, special economic zone statistics, foreign-invested enterprise trade, and key commodity metrics. This database provides authoritative, accurate, comprehensive, and timely data support for research on China's international trade.

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Time Coverage

1981-2024.11

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Field Display

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Sample Data

Annual Total Value Table of Import and Export Commodities

Monthly Total Value Table of Import and Export Commodities

Country/Region Total Value Table of Import and Export Commodities

Commodity Composition Table of Imports and Exports

Chapter-wise Total Value Table of Import and Export Commodities

Trade Mode Total Value Table of Import and Export Commodities

Enterprise Ownership Structure Table for Export Trade Modes

Enterprise Ownership Structure Table for Import Trade Modes

Consignee/Consignor Location Table for Import and Export Commodities

Domestic Destination/Sourcing Origin Table for Import and Export Commodities

Customs District Distribution Table for Import and Export Commodities

Special Economic Zone Import-Export Total Value Table

Foreign-Invested Enterprise Import-Export Total Value Table

Key Export Commodity Metrics Table

Key Import Commodity Metrics Table

Export Commodity Chapter Value Table for Selected Countries/Regions

Import Commodity Chapter Value Table from Selected Countries/Regions

Major Trade Mode Metrics Table for Selected Export Commodities

Major Trade Mode Metrics Table for Selected Import Commodities

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Relevant Literature

• Xuepeng Liu, Heiwai Tang, Zhi Wang and Shang-Jin Wei, 2023, “Currency Carry Trade by Trucks: The Curious Case of China’s Massive Imports from Itself”, Review of Finance.

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Data Update Frequency

Annual updates