Key figures from the chart
- China’s exports grew from a total of $339 billion in 2000 to $3.41 trillion in 2023, about ten times as much.
- Computers (4.26%) and office machine parts (3.04%) were the largest products in 2000.
- Telephones lead in 2023 at 6.44% of exports, up from 1.27%, followed by computers (4.39%) and integrated circuits (4.03%).
- New in the 2023 top ranks: cars (2.27%), electric batteries (2.04%) and semiconductor devices (1.81%).
- Labour-intensive goods shrink as a share: knit sweaters fall from 1.94% to 0.59% and other toys from 2.4% to 1.23%.
All figures are from the graphic, which cites OEC.world.
China export products in 2000 and 2023
Title: How China Product Exports Have Changed Since the 2000’s? The graphic shows two treemaps side by side, 2000 (total $339B) and 2023 (total $3.41T). Each rectangle is a product, sized by its share of that year’s exports and coloured by sector: blue for machines and electronics, dark green for textiles, bright green for footwear, grey for miscellaneous goods such as toys and furniture, brown for metals, pink for plastics and rubber, rust for mineral products, light blue for transport, teal for animal hides and violet for precious metals. A row of unlabelled sector icons sits under each map. Source line: “Source: OEC.WORLD”.
The tables list every tile with a full product name and value. Many smaller tiles have shortened names (such as “Iron…” or “Non-Knit…”) or no label, and are left out.
2000, total $339B
| Product | Share of exports |
|---|---|
| Computers | 4.26% |
| Office Machine Parts | 3.04% |
| Other toys | 2.4% |
| Trunks and Cases | 2.06% |
| Knit Sweaters | 1.94% |
| Leather Footwear | 1.9% |
| Electrical Transformers | 1.83% |
| Non-Knit Women’s Suits | 1.77% |
| Rubber Footwear | 1.72% |
| Radio Receivers | 1.38% |
| Non-Knit Men’s Suits | 1.33% |
| Light Fixtures | 1.32% |
| Telephones | 1.27% |
| Other Plastic Products | 1.23% |
| Audio and Video Recording Accessories | 1.17% |
| Electric Heaters | 1.13% |
| Broadcasting Equipment | 1.07% |
| Other Furniture | 1.07% |
| Integrated Circuits | 0.99% |
| Insulated Wire | 0.96% |
| Leather Apparel | 0.89% |
| Microphones and Headphones | 0.86% |
| Sports Equipment | 0.84% |
| Electric Motors | 0.83% |
| Low-voltage Protection Equipment | 0.74% |
| Knit T-shirts | 0.73% |
| Video and Card Games | 0.73% |
| Video Recording Equipment | 0.67% |
| Crude Petroleum | 0.64% |
| Textile Footwear | 0.63% |
| Seats | 0.62% |
| Non-Knit Men’s Coats | 0.61% |
| Light Pure Woven Cotton | 0.59% |
| Printed Circuit Boards | 0.56% |
| Cameras | 0.53% |
| House Linens | 0.53% |
| Coal Briquettes | 0.51% |
| Photocopiers | 0.5% |
| Plastic Lids | 0.45% |
| Jewellery | 0.43% |
| Corn | 0.37% |
| Mattresses | 0.35% |
| Coke | 0.3% |
| LCDs | 0.29% |
| Valves | 0.27% |
| Dolls | 0.26% |
2023, total $3.41T
| Product | Share of exports |
|---|---|
| Telephones | 6.44% |
| Computers | 4.39% |
| Integrated Circuits | 4.03% |
| Cars | 2.27% |
| Electric Batteries | 2.04% |
| Commodities not elsewhere specified | 1.88% |
| Semiconductor Devices | 1.81% |
| Motor vehicles; parts and accessories (8701 to 8705) | 1.56% |
| Refined Petroleum | 1.43% |
| Electrical Transformers | 1.38% |
| Light Fixtures | 1.28% |
| Other toys | 1.23% |
| Flat panel displays | 1.14% |
| Trunks and Cases | 1.08% |
| Other Furniture | 1.03% |
| Other Plastic Products | 0.96% |
| Video Displays | 0.95% |
| Seats | 0.89% |
| Electric Heaters | 0.86% |
| Office Machine Parts | 0.85% |
| Insulated Wire | 0.83% |
| Rubber Footwear | 0.79% |
| Non-Knit Women’s Suits | 0.75% |
| Air Pumps | 0.73% |
| Passenger and Cargo Ships | 0.73% |
| Air Conditioners | 0.63% |
| Video and Card Games | 0.63% |
| Rubber Tires | 0.63% |
| Valves | 0.62% |
| Knit Sweaters | 0.59% |
| Printed Circuit Boards | 0.51% |
| Hot-Rolled Iron | 0.48% |
| Electric Motors | 0.43% |
| Plastic Lids | 0.42% |
| Jewellery | 0.42% |
| Centrifuges | 0.38% |
What changed, in shares and dollars
Because total exports grew about tenfold, a falling share can still mean a rising value. Applying each share to that year’s total gives an approximate dollar value (our arithmetic, rounded):
| Product | 2000 share | 2023 share | 2000 value (our arithmetic) | 2023 value (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telephones | 1.27% | 6.44% | $4.3B | $219.6B |
| Computers | 4.26% | 4.39% | $14.4B | $149.7B |
| Integrated Circuits | 0.99% | 4.03% | $3.4B | $137.4B |
| Office Machine Parts | 3.04% | 0.85% | $10.3B | $29.0B |
| Other toys | 2.4% | 1.23% | $8.1B | $41.9B |
| Knit Sweaters | 1.94% | 0.59% | $6.6B | $20.1B |
| Trunks and Cases | 2.06% | 1.08% | $7.0B | $36.8B |
Every product in the table sold more abroad in 2023 than in 2000. Office machine parts, toys, sweaters and cases grew far more slowly than the total, while telephones and integrated circuits grew far faster.
China’s top exports now
OEC’s China profile gives newer figures. It says China exported $3.59 trillion in 2024, making it the world’s largest exporter, up $943 billion from $2.65 trillion in 2019 [1]. Its 2024 exports were led by telephones ($319B), computers ($185B), integrated circuits ($171B), cars ($90.3B) and electric batteries ($76.2B) [1], the same top three as on the 2023 map, with cars and batteries close behind.
Notes on this infographic
- Shares, not values. The tiles show each product’s share of that year’s total, not dollar values. Dollar figures on this page are our arithmetic from the printed totals.
- Product names. OEC classifies products with the Harmonized System, which it publishes in several versions (HS92 to HS22) [1]. The graphic does not say which version it uses, and a few labels appear in only one year, such as “Flat panel displays” in 2023.
- Title. The graphic’s title is a question, “Since the 2000’s?”, with an apostrophe; the usual form is 2000s.
- Creator. The graphic names OEC as its data source but not its designer, and we could not identify who made it. If you made it, contact us and we will credit you or remove it.
- Data date. 2000 and 2023. OEC’s latest yearly profile figures are for 2024 [1].
Questions about China’s exports
What does China export?
Mostly machinery and electronics. On the 2023 map the largest products are telephones (6.44%), computers (4.39%) and integrated circuits (4.03%), followed by cars and electric batteries. China still exports toys, furniture, clothing and footwear, but they are a smaller share than in 2000.
Which product does China export most?
Telephones, which includes mobile phones: 6.44% of China’s exports in 2023 on the map, and $319 billion in 2024 according to OEC [1].
How much does China export a year?
China's exports totalled $3.41 trillion in 2023, about ten times the $339 billion of 2000. OEC gives a newer figure of $3.59 trillion in 2024, making China the world's largest exporter [1]. That was up $943 billion from $2.65 trillion in 2019 [1].
Does China still export toys and clothes?
Yes, but they make up a smaller share of exports than in 2000. Other toys fell from 2.4% of exports in 2000 to 1.23% in 2023, and knit sweaters from 1.94% to 0.59%. Because total exports grew about tenfold, their value still rose, from about $8.1B to $41.9B for toys and from about $6.6B to $20.1B for sweaters, applying each share to that year's total.
Sources
- OEC, China country profile, the data source named on the graphic.
Last reviewed 29 October 2026
