Despite uncertainties in global trade environment, China's total volume of trade in goods increased by 2.7 percent year on year in May, with an increase of 6.3 percent in export volume alone, said a spokesman for the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday.
Fu Linghui, the NBS spokesman, said at a press briefing held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing that China's foreign trade continued to withstand pressure and maintained steady growth in May. In terms of trading partners, although China's imports and exports with the United States have declined, the country's trade with ASEAN and European countries, as well as those involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has continued to grow, reflecting the positive achievement of China's diversified development scheme of foreign trade.
From January to May, China's import and export volume with these countries increased by 9.1 percent, 2.9 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively.
From the perspective of business entities, China's private foreign trade enterprises are adept at exploring markets and have strong capabilities to adjust themselves amid fluctuation in the foreign trade environment. They have effectively promoted market expansion and development, providing robust support for foreign trade growth.
From January to May, imports and exports conducted by private enterprises increased by 7 percent year on year, with exports rising by 8 percent and imports by 4.9 percent, both of which were significantly outperforming the overall figures of foreign trade.
From the perspective of export situation, China's machinery and electronic products have become an important driving force for exports, while high-end products like integrated circuits have also shown a trend of rapid growth.
From January to May, China's machinery and electronic product export increased by 9.3 percent year on year, with integrated circuit exports rising by 18.9 percent.
High-end products continue to show greater competitive edges, with their exports growing by 7.4 percent in the first five months.
"China's total volume of trade in goods grew by 2.7 percent in May, with export volume rising by 6.3 percent, maintaining steady and relatively rapid growth. In the next stage, although there are many uncertain and unstable external factors that may place stress on foreign trade, China's comprehensive advantages in this sector remain evident. The continuous expansion of high-level opening up on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation will further support steady development in foreign trade," said Fu.
China's trade in goods volume up by 2.7 pct in May
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
