When it comes to exports, China is at the top of the list. As the world champion in exports and one of the largest economies in the world, the country greatly benefits from the demand for its products.

China's economic model is based entirely on exports. This is the only way to achieve the high level of foreign currency in the long term. But what are the most popular imports from China?

It's all a question of demand

Every year, the top imports from China for Germany are summarised anew. The overviews show that although there are always changes in the top 10, the sectors remain the same. Electrical appliances and electrical engineering are among the most important imports from the Middle Kingdom, generating billions of dollars every year.

For China itself exports in these areas accounted for a share of almost 27% in 2021. Demand is primarily characterised by the smartphone as a single product. In 2021 alone, smartphones accounted for 4% of exports .

There are also high annual imports of vacuum cleaners, air conditioners and refrigerators from China. However, it is less well known that China is also one of the leading exporters of semiconductors.

Good to know:
Semiconductors are so-called solids. Due to their electrical conductivity, they can be used as non-conductors or conductors and therefore have a wide range of applications.

The top 10 imports from China at a glance

The latest figures from 2021 show that China generated total exports of around 2,558 billion euros. The revenue is made up of products from the following top 10 industries:

1. Electronics and electronic applicatioms
2. Machinery
3. Textiles and clothing
4. Furniture and items for the interior
5. Plastics and plastic products
6. Vehicles
7. Toys
8. Measuring technology
9. Iron products
10. Organic chemicals

Compared to 2018, the values of exports has risen by 400 billion euros. The trend is still rising. This is due to rising prices for production and purchasing in Europe. However, rising prices for products from China also explain the exporter's increase in turnover.

Notice: What are organic chemicals? These are chemicals based on carbon compounds. They include colourants and flavourings, but also polymers.

Top Importe aus China in Zahlen

China has made a name for itself as a world export champion, but what exactly does this mean in terms of the products that are imported? Take vehicles, for example. China exports around 1,000,000 commercial and passenger vehicles per year. China has topped the list of countries for vehicle production and exports for several years now.

China is also a leader in terms of furniture exports. This is partly due to the fact that well-known suppliers, such as IKEA, have a large proportion of their furniture manufactured in China.

Smartphones are the top products when it comes to imports from China and Chinese brands, such as Huawei, are increasingly represented here. These developments can also be seen in the market for laptops. One of the top brands in this area is the Chinese supplier Lenovo.

Conclusion on the top 10 imports from China

It is not surprising that a look at the top 10 imports from China makes it clear that: Technology tops the list. China has been a pioneer in this area for years, which is partly due to the fact that major companies have relocated production of technical equipment to China.

However, the country's own products are also becoming increasingly important - especially when it comes to the technical sector. The list of the top 10 imports from China for Europe also includes clothing, machinery, toys and vehicles. In recent years, toys have become even more important. They make up quite a large proportion of export products for China.