China’s September Trade Rises 7.9% in USD Terms

On Monday, October 13, China’s General Administration of Customs reported that the country’s total trade in September reached USD 566.68 billion, rising 7.9% year-on-year in U.S. dollar terms, with exports up 8.3% and imports up 7.4%.

National Import and Export Totals, September 2025 (USD)

In the first three quarters of 2025, exports of industrial robots surged 54.9%, while wind turbine equipment and components grew 23.9%. Exports of mechanical and electrical products rose 9.6%, accounting for 60.5% of total exports, up 1.4 percentage points year-on-year. Among them, electronics, high-end equipment, and instruments increased 8.1%, 22.4%, and 15.2%, respectively.

Trade with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries reached USD 2.42 trillion, up 6.2% year-on-year. By market, trade with ASEAN rose 8.6%, with the EU up 4.3%, while U.S. trade declined 15.6%.

Major Trading Partner’s Total Import and Export Values, September 2025

Data Source: http://www.customs.gov.cn/customs/302249/zfxxgk/2799825/302274/302275/6769608/index.html

Trump Slaps 100% Tariff on Chinese Imports, Escalating Tech and Trade Tensions

On Friday, October 10, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States will impose a 100% tariff on all Chinese imports, effective November 1. At the same time, Washington will implement export controls on all “critical software”, further tightening restrictions on technology transfers.

The news sent U.S. markets tumbling, with all three major stock indexes sharply lower by the close.

Analysts say the move follows a series of recent Chinese measures that appear to have struck a nerve in Washington.

First, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation launched an antitrust investigation into Qualcomm, the U.S. chipmaker long criticized for its steep licensing fees. Qualcomm’s practice of charging royalties based on the total price of a handset has long burdened Chinese smartphone manufacturers. But with the resurgence of domestic chips such as Huawei’s Kirin series, Beijing now has greater leverage—and confidence—to challenge foreign tech dominance.

Second, China’s Ministry of Commerce has imposed strict new controls over rare earth exports, extending oversight beyond raw materials to include technology, equipment, and finished products—closing previous loopholes that allowed third-party re-exports. Though often overlooked, rare earths are indispensable for products ranging from electric vehicles to missile radar systems. The move is widely viewed as a direct counter to U.S. semiconductor export bans—a clear display of tit-for-tat strategy.

Third, China’s Ministry of Transport announced plans to introduce a “Special Port Service Fee” on U.S. vessels entering Chinese ports—a mirror measure, since the U.S. has long imposed similar charges on Chinese ships. The step underscores Beijing’s message that trade rules should not be dictated unilaterally.

After years of U.S. sanctions, China has accelerated its push for technological self-reliance. Gaps in critical sectors—from chip manufacturing to rare-earth processing—are gradually being filled, setting the stage for an increasingly balanced, and volatile, economic rivalry.

JD Logistics Expands Into On-Demand Delivery With $270 Million Acquisition

On October 9, JD Logistics announced it would acquire its wholly owned local instant delivery unit from JD Group for $270 million, according to a filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The move sent JD Logistics’ shares up more than 4% that same day.

In its statement, JD Logistics said the strong performance of its instant delivery business in recent months had revealed “significant commercial potential” and expansion opportunities. The company expects the acquisition to broaden its logistics solutions, strengthen “last-mile” delivery capabilities, and enhance competitiveness in China’s fast-growing on-demand retail sector.

The acquisition also deepens JD Logistics’ shift toward third-party logistics services. After integrating Dada, the group can now provide on-demand delivery across multiple platforms — including JD Express, Taobao Flash Purchase, and Douyin Hourly Delivery — offering a more flexible logistics network that extends beyond JD’s own e-commerce ecosystem.

Performance data backs the optimism. Dada’s local instant delivery arm, Dada Now, was one of the fastest-growing business lines in 2024. Although Dada’s total net revenue slipped 8% year-on-year to CNY 9.66 billion, revenue from Dada Now jumped 44.6% to CNY 5.81 billion, driven by strong order growth from chain retailers.

China’s on-demand retail industry is booming. According to a report by the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, the market is being reshaped by big data and AI, which help forecast demand, optimize inventory and routes, and accelerate fulfillment times. The report projects that by 2027, China’s on-demand e-commerce market will exceed CNY 5 trillion.

JD Logistics expects the newly acquired unit to post a net profit of CNY 7.52 million in the first half of 2025 — marking its first move into profitability and signaling that the logistics giant’s latest bet may already be paying off.

German Luxury Carmakers Lose Ground in China as Local EV Rivals Surge

After a sluggish first half, German luxury carmakers saw little relief in the third quarter as sales in China — their most important market — continued to slide.

BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche all released their latest quarterly figures, revealing a growing divide between global and Chinese performance. BMW was the only one to post global growth, with worldwide sales up 8.8% year-on-year. But even for BMW, China remained a weak spot: sales fell 0.4% to 147,000 units, the only region where deliveries declined.

The picture was bleaker for its peers. Mercedes-Benz sold 125,000 vehicles in China, down 27%, while Porsche’s sales dropped 20.7% to 11,000 units. Audi has yet to publish third-quarter data, but its China sales were already down 10.2% in the first half of the year.

Among the trio, Mercedes-Benz has taken the hardest hit. Its retail sales in China plunged to just 27,000 units in July, the lowest in five years — and more than 40% lower than the previous month. Even its core models failed to surpass the 10,000-unit mark that month.

Porsche, once a symbol of China’s appetite for ultra-luxury performance, is also feeling the chill. After two decades of steady growth since entering the market in 2001, China became Porsche’s largest single market in 2015. At its 2021 peak, the brand delivered nearly 100,000 vehicles. But sales have been falling ever since — down 2.5% in 2022, then sharply lower in 2023 and 2024. So far this year, Porsche has sold only 32,200 units in China, 26% fewer than a year earlier.

The shift reflects a broader structural change in China’s premium auto market. Domestic brands such as HUAWEI’s Aito and Li Auto have rapidly gained ground in the ¥300,000-and-above segment, leveraging their strengths in smart connectivity and electrification.

Industry observers note that traditional luxury benchmarks — engine performance and brand prestige — no longer guarantee competitiveness in the era of intelligent electric vehicles. To stay in the game, the once-unshakable “BBA” trio (BMW, Benz, and Audi) have been forced to cut prices sharply at the retail level, underscoring how the world’s largest auto market is rewriting the rules of luxury.

Meituan Pilots Feature Allowing Riders to Block “Difficult” Customers

On October 11, a Meituan delivery rider confirmed that the company had begun testing a new feature allowing couriers to block specific customers following disputes or abusive behavior.

According to information displayed in the Meituan app, the feature is currently being piloted in seven cities, including Jinjiang (Fujian) and Shaoxing (Zhejiang). Riders can rate customers and block them within 48 hours of completing an order. If a customer is reported for verbal abuse or threats, couriers can select “Do not deliver to this customer again” or manually block the user in their settings. After verification, each rider may block up to two customers at a time.

A Meituan customer service representative confirmed the trial, explaining that once a customer is blocked, the rider will no longer receive orders from that individual for 365 days. The company plans to expand the feature to more cities, though it has not announced a detailed rollout schedule.

The new function has sparked lively debate online. Many netizens voiced support, saying delivery workers deserve the right to refuse service in cases of harassment or mistreatment. Others argued that the two-customer limit is insufficient, while some questioned the policy’s real impact — noting that blocked customers’ orders would simply be reassigned to other couriers.

While small in scope, Meituan’s pilot marks a rare instance of a major platform tilting policy in favor of gig workers, amid growing public attention to labor rights and workplace fairness in China’s delivery industry.