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Trade between China and the United Arab Emirates

In 2024, China exported $64.7 billion to the United Arab Emirates and imported $36.3 billion. China ran a surplus of $28.4 billion with the United Arab Emirates, compared with a surplus of $24.9 billion in 2019. The United Arab Emirates was China’s 19th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and China was the United Arab Emirates’ largest (16%).

Summary

China → United Arab Emirates
$64.7billion
United Arab Emirates → China
$36.3billion
China’s balance
$28.4billion

Balance

China’s trade balance with the United Arab Emirates

Trade between China and the United Arab Emirates grew 82.7-fold since 1995

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

  • Exports 64.7
  • Imports 36.3
  • Balance +28.4

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$1.1 billion$120 million$980 million
1996$1.1 billion$68 million$1 billion
1997$1.3 billion$84 million$1.2 billion
1998$1.3 billion$162 million$1.1 billion
1999$1.4 billion$189 million$1.3 billion
2000$2.1 billion$416 million$1.7 billion
2001$2.4 billion$448 million$1.9 billion
2002$3.4 billion$445 million$3 billion
2003$5 billion$773 million$4.3 billion
2004$6.8 billion$1.3 billion$5.5 billion
2005$7.3 billion$2.1 billion$5.2 billion
2006$11.4 billion$2.8 billion$8.6 billion
2007$13.8 billion$3.1 billion$10.7 billion
2008$18.8 billion$5.1 billion$13.7 billion
2009$18.6 billion$2.6 billion$16 billion
2010$21.2 billion$4.4 billion$16.9 billion
2011$26.8 billion$8.3 billion$18.5 billion
2012$33.6 billion$11 billion$22.6 billion
2013$22.3 billion$13.5 billion$8.8 billion
2014$28.5 billion$16.8 billion$11.7 billion
2015$27.9 billion$12.8 billion$15.1 billion
2016$26.1 billion$11.8 billion$14.3 billion
2017$47.9 billion$14.4 billion$33.5 billion
2018$38.7 billion$19.6 billion$19.1 billion
2019$42.3 billion$17.4 billion$24.9 billion
2020$41.3 billion$18.5 billion$22.7 billion
2021$54.9 billion$31.3 billion$23.5 billion
2022$67.4 billion$46.8 billion$20.6 billion
2023$77.9 billion$39.7 billion$38.1 billion
2024$64.7 billion$36.3 billion$28.4 billion

What they sell each other

What China sells to the United Arab Emirates

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

  1. Cameras and broadcast equipment$6.4 billion · 9.9%
    41 thousand tonnes
  2. Cars$4.8 billion · 7.4%
    472 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  3. Computers$3.4 billion · 5.2%
    25 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  4. Auto parts$1.8 billion · 2.8%
    308 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  5. Hot-rolled flat steel$1.7 billion · 2.7%
    3 million tonnes
  6. Air conditioners$1 billion · 1.6%
    207 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  7. Synthetic filament fabric$912 million · 1.4%
    193 thousand tonnes
  8. New tires$859 million · 1.3%
    386 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  9. Lamps and light fittings$819 million · 1.3%
    73 thousand tonnes
  10. Computer and office machine parts$745 million · 1.2%
    32 thousand tonnes

What the United Arab Emirates sells to China

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

  1. Crude petroleum$22.1 billion · 60.8%
    35.5 million tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  2. Natural gas and LPG$4.8 billion · 13.4%
    7.8 million tonnes
  3. Refined petroleum$2.6 billion · 7.2%
    4.1 million tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  4. Polyethylene$2.2 billion · 6.1%
    2.2 million tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  5. Alcohols$919 million · 2.5%
    3.1 million tonnes
  6. Polypropylene$543 million · 1.5%
    574 thousand tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  7. Refined copper$473 million · 1.3%
    53 thousand tonnes · China’s sources
  8. Petroleum coke and bitumen$426 million · 1.2%
    1.3 million tonnes
  9. Copper scrap$351 million · 0.97%
    44 thousand tonnes
  10. Gold$333 million · 0.92%
    5 tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Shanghai to Jebel Ali.

The estimated sea route between Shanghai and Jebel Ali is 5,759 nautical miles (10,665 km) long: ≈ 13.5–17 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Strait of Malacca and Singapore; and Strait of Hormuz.

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

  1. Sea$88.2 billion · 87.4%
  2. Air$12.7 billion · 12.6%

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

How much each matters to the other

The United Arab Emirates was China’s 19th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and China was the United Arab Emirates’ largest (16%).

The United Arab Emirates in China’s trade
1.8%
The United Arab Emirates’ rank among China’s partners
19th
China in the United Arab Emirates’ trade
16.3%
China’s rank among the United Arab Emirates’ partners
1st

Compare with

Other partners of China

Other partners of the United Arab Emirates

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.