Analyzing China's export-import dynamics amid global disruptions

As one of the world's largest importing and exporting countries, China occupies a pivotal position in international trade. This article uses official statistics from the Chinese customs website to analyze the factors that have influenced the structure of China's imports and exports from 2015 to 2023. The raw data, which are classified by Harmonized System (HS) code, are further mapped to the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) in this study to facilitate better international comparison. Our study highlights the impact of external factors, in particular the COVID-19 pandemic, on trade dynamics. Key findings show that while the percentage composition of exports remained stable, imports experienced some fluctuations throughout the period, but the main categories of imports and exports remained the same. This analysis helps to understand how global disruptions, such as the pandemic, can affect China's trade structure in world trade.