globaltraffic.earth

Trade between China and India

In 2024, China exported $122.3 billion to India and imported $17.2 billion. China ran a surplus of $105.1 billion with India, compared with a surplus of $50.4 billion in 2019. India was China’s 13th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and China was India’s largest (12%).

Summary

China → India
$122.3billion
India → China
$17.2billion
China’s balance
$105.1billion

Balance

China’s trade balance with India

Trade between China and India grew 97.4-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). China’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 122
  • Imports 17.2
  • Balance +105

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$951 million$482 million$470 million
1996$878 million$854 million$24 million
1997$1.3 billion$1 billion$224 million
1998$1.3 billion$893 million$379 million
1999$1.4 billion$863 million$551 million
2000$1.7 billion$1.3 billion$396 million
2001$2.1 billion$1.6 billion$427 million
2002$2.9 billion$2.3 billion$520 million
2003$3.9 billion$4.3 billion-$438 million
2004$6.4 billion$7.6 billion-$1.2 billion
2005$10.6 billion$9.3 billion$1.3 billion
2006$16.1 billion$9.9 billion$6.2 billion
2007$25 billion$13.1 billion$11.9 billion
2008$28.7 billion$16.8 billion$11.9 billion
2009$28.9 billion$13 billion$15.9 billion
2010$38.3 billion$20.2 billion$18.1 billion
2011$51.2 billion$21.5 billion$29.6 billion
2012$51.3 billion$17.8 billion$33.5 billion
2013$48.9 billion$17.4 billion$31.4 billion
2014$52.1 billion$16.1 billion$36 billion
2015$56.3 billion$12.4 billion$43.9 billion
2016$60 billion$11.1 billion$48.8 billion
2017$71.6 billion$15.8 billion$55.7 billion
2018$74.1 billion$20.1 billion$54 billion
2019$69.8 billion$19.4 billion$50.4 billion
2020$60 billion$21.4 billion$38.6 billion
2021$88.6 billion$26.5 billion$62.1 billion
2022$103.2 billion$16.8 billion$86.4 billion
2023$124.5 billion$18.2 billion$106.3 billion
2024$122.3 billion$17.2 billion$105.1 billion

What they sell each other

What China sells to India

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Microchips$10.4 billion · 8.5%
    3 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  2. Computers$6.4 billion · 5.2%
    22 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  3. Phones and telecom equipment$5.7 billion · 4.6%
    42 thousand tonnes
  4. Cameras and broadcast equipment$4.5 billion · 3.7%
    61 thousand tonnes
  5. Diodes, transistors and solar cells$4.4 billion · 3.6%
    825 thousand tonnes
  6. Parts for broadcast equipment$4 billion · 3.2%
    41 thousand tonnes
  7. Computer and office machine parts$2.8 billion · 2.3%
    68 thousand tonnes
  8. Batteries$2.7 billion · 2.2%
    109 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  9. Other industrial machines$2.4 billion · 1.9%
    153 thousand tonnes
  10. Transformers and power supplies$2.3 billion · 1.9%
    91 thousand tonnes

What India sells to China

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Iron ore$3.1 billion · 17.8%
    35.2 million tonnes · India’s destinations
  2. Refined petroleum$1.2 billion · 7.1%
    1.1 million tonnes · India’s destinations
  3. Crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, crab)$781 million · 4.5%
    142 thousand tonnes
  4. Other vegetable oils$518 million · 3%
    351 thousand tonnes
  5. Prepared human hair$483 million · 2.8%
    4 thousand tonnes
  6. Diamonds$477 million · 2.8%
    India’s destinations
  7. Pepper, dried chili and paprika$464 million · 2.7%
    185 thousand tonnes · India’s destinations
  8. Granite and building stone$362 million · 2.1%
    2.8 million tonnes
  9. Unwrought aluminum$355 million · 2.1%
    146 thousand tonnes · India’s destinations
  10. Peanut oil$337 million · 2%
    201 thousand tonnes

How it travels

China and India traded $139.5 billion in 2024 (both directions together). They trade mostly over land: 90% of the value travels by truck, rail or pipeline.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$14.3 billion · 10.2%
  2. Land$125.3 billion · 89.8%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

India was China’s 13th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and China was India’s largest (12%).

India in China’s trade
2.4%
India’s rank among China’s partners
13th
China in India’s trade
12.2%
China’s rank among India’s partners
1st

Compare with

Other partners of China

Other partners of India

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.