Summary
- China → Saudi Arabia
- $53.3billion
- Saudi Arabia → China
- $58.1billion
- China’s balance
- -$4.7billion
Balance
China’s trade balance with Saudi Arabia
Trade between China and Saudi Arabia grew 76.3-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). China’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 53.3
- Imports 58.1
- Balance -4.7
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $881 million | $578 million | $303 million |
| 1996 | $965 million | $835 million | $130 million |
| 1997 | $854 million | $826 million | $28 million |
| 1998 | $1.1 billion | $805 million | $296 million |
| 1999 | $1.1 billion | $912 million | $156 million |
| 2000 | $1.3 billion | $1.9 billion | -$645 million |
| 2001 | $1.4 billion | $2.7 billion | -$1.3 billion |
| 2002 | $1.8 billion | $3.4 billion | -$1.6 billion |
| 2003 | $2.4 billion | $5.2 billion | -$2.8 billion |
| 2004 | $3.1 billion | $7.5 billion | -$4.4 billion |
| 2005 | $4.3 billion | $12.4 billion | -$8.1 billion |
| 2006 | $6 billion | $15.2 billion | -$9.2 billion |
| 2007 | $8.7 billion | $17.7 billion | -$9 billion |
| 2008 | $12.7 billion | $31.1 billion | -$18.4 billion |
| 2009 | $11 billion | $23.5 billion | -$12.4 billion |
| 2010 | $12.9 billion | $32.7 billion | -$19.8 billion |
| 2011 | $18.3 billion | $49.3 billion | -$31 billion |
| 2012 | $21.5 billion | $55.4 billion | -$33.9 billion |
| 2013 | $22.3 billion | $55.6 billion | -$33.3 billion |
| 2014 | $24.8 billion | $48.1 billion | -$23.4 billion |
| 2015 | $26.6 billion | $31.8 billion | -$5.2 billion |
| 2016 | $21.1 billion | $25.3 billion | -$4.3 billion |
| 2017 | $22 billion | $31.7 billion | -$9.7 billion |
| 2018 | $19.9 billion | $43.7 billion | -$23.9 billion |
| 2019 | $26 billion | $54 billion | -$28.1 billion |
| 2020 | $28.3 billion | $39.2 billion | -$10.9 billion |
| 2021 | $30.6 billion | $56.9 billion | -$26.3 billion |
| 2022 | $40 billion | $77.7 billion | -$37.7 billion |
| 2023 | $42.2 billion | $64.2 billion | -$22 billion |
| 2024 | $53.3 billion | $58.1 billion | -$4.7 billion |
What they sell each other
What China sells to Saudi Arabia
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
What Saudi Arabia sells to China
The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.
How it travels
The estimated sea route between Shanghai and Jeddah is 6,643 nautical miles (12,302 km) long: ≈ 15.5–20 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).
Passages it crosses: Strait of Malacca and Singapore; and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.
Split by transport mode
Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.
How much each matters to the other
Saudi Arabia was China’s 17th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and China was Saudi Arabia’s largest (21%).
- Saudi Arabia in China’s trade
- 1.9%
- Saudi Arabia’s rank among China’s partners
- 17th
- China in Saudi Arabia’s trade
- 21%
- China’s rank among Saudi Arabia’s partners
- 1st
Compare with
Other partners of China
Other partners of Saudi Arabia
Sources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- World Bank, Global Shipping Traffic Density · CC BY 4.0 (route network derived by this site)
- World Port Index (NGA) · Public domain (US Government work)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
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.