The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Chinese global shipments during 2017. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from China.

At the more granular 4-digit HTS code basis, China’s most valuable export goods are mobile phones trailed by computers, integrated electronic circuits, computer parts or accessories, television receivers, monitors and projectors then automobile parts or accessories.

1. Electrical machinery, equipment: US$599 billion (26.4% of total exports)
2. Machinery including computers: $382.9 billion (16.9%)
3. Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: $89.8 billion (4%)
4. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $73.6 billion (3.2%)
5. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $72 billion (3.2%)
6. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $70.6 billion (3.1%)
7. Plastics, plastic articles: $70.6 billion (3.1%)
8. Vehicles: $67.4 billion (3%)
9. Articles of iron or steel: $57.3 billion (2.5%)
10. Toys, games: $55.3 billion (2.4%)

China’s top 10 exports accounted for about two-thirds (67.7%) of the overall value of its global shipments.

Toys and games represent the fastest-growing among China’s top 10 export categories from 2016 to 2017, up 26.4%.

In second place for improving export sales was the 13.3% increase for the plastics and plastic articles category.

Made-in-China vehicles posted the third-fastest gain in value up 12% year over year, closely f0ollowed by machinery including computers up by 11.4%.

The only decliner among the top 10 Chinese exports was knitted or crocheted clothing and accessories which decreased by -3.3%

Overall China posted a $430.8 billion trade surplus in 2017 down by -15.5% from $509.7 billion during 2016 but up by 66.3% from $259 billion 5 years earlier in 2013.

The following types of Chinese product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Machinery including computers: US$213.1 billion (Up by 8.7% since 2016)
2. Electrical machinery, equipment: $143.5 billion (Up by 2.3%)
3. Furniture, bedding, lighting , signs, prefab buildings: $86.1 billion (Up by 2.2%)
4. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $69.8 billion (Up by 1.9%)
5. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $69.2 billion (Down by -4%)
6. Toys, games: $53.2 billion (Up by 27.2%)
7. Articles of iron or steel: $47.3 billion (Up by 11.7%)
8. Footwear: $44.8 billion (Up by 1.5%)
9. Leather/animal gut articles: $26.5 billion (Up by 5.3%)
10. Miscellaneous textiles, worn clothing: $26 billion (Up by 3.6%)

China has highly positive net exports in the international trade of machinery including computers. In turn, these cashflows indicate China’s strong competitive advantages under the machinery-related category.

Below are exports from China that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country China’s goods trail Chinese importer spending on foreign products.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: US-$212.1 billion (Up by 41.7% since 2016)
2. Ores, slag, ash: -$124.7 billion (Up by 32.3%)
3. Oil seeds: -$41.9 billion (Up by 17.5%)
4. Copper: -$34.7 billion (Up by 26.4%)
5. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: -$26.8 billion (Up by 6.2%)
6. Aircraft, spacecraft: -$22.5 billion (Up by 15.8%)
7. Woodpulp: -$21.1 billion (Up by 23.1%)
8. Pharmaceuticals: -$17.9 billion (Up by 30%)
9. Vehicles: -$11.9 billion (Up by 4.5%)
10. Wood: -$9.7 billion (Up by 59.7%)

China has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for mineral fuels-related products particularly crude oil, petroleum gas and coal.

These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate China’s competitive disadvantages in the international mineral fuels-related market, but also represent key opportunities for China to improve its position in the global economy through focused innovations.

Chinese Export Companies

China placed 149 corporations on the Forbes Global 2000. Below is a sample of the major Chinese export companies that Forbes included:

• PetroChina (oil, gas)
• Sinopec-China Petroleum (oil, gas)
• SAIC Motor (cars, trucks)
• Dongfeng Motor Group (cars, trucks)
• BYD (cars, trucks)
• Gree Electric Appliances (household appliances)
• Midea Group Co. Ltd. (household appliances)
• Tsingtao Brewery (beverages)
• Sinopharm Group (pharmaceuticals)
• Aluminum Corporation of China (aluminum)
• Dongfang Electric (electrical equipment)

According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following smaller companies are also examples of leading Chinese exporters:

• APLL (beddings, clothing)
• UPS SCS China (chairs, beddings)
• Winners Products Engineering (cooking appliances, sheets, charcoal)
• Maersk Logistics China (footwear, bedding, clothing)
• Carven Industries (furniture, building stone)