On COVID-19 pandemic and China's foreign trade

In this study, we analyse China's foreign trade performance under the global COVID-19 pandemic using the monthly data in 2019-2021. This paper finds that: (1) China's exports to its major trading partners recover and continue to grow in the second half of 2020 and 2021, after falling significantly in the first half of 2020; (2) the mechanical & electrical and the high-tech industries have contributed significantly to the recovery of China's exports; (3) the exports of medical products, furniture and appliances show growth in line with the implementation of quarantine policies; (4) the exports of electronic products and electrical vehicles kept growing both before the outbreak and during the pandemic. It is posited that China should continue to expand trade with emerging markets while maintaining a steady trade volume with the developed economies. We also recommend that China focus its future export development on these industries and products that are growing steadily and have greater potential, including the mechanical & electrical industry, the high-tech industry, electronic products and electrical vehicles.