Market Overview / Cities & Economic Centres / Italy–China Trade / Italian Food & Wine
China Market
China Market
Insights
China is one of the world's major production, trade, innovation and consumer markets. Understanding the Chinese market requires looking beyond national scale to cities, economic centres, trade relations and specific industries.
Market Overview
China Market Overview
In 2025, China's GDP reached RMB 140.188 trillion, with real growth of 5.0%.
China is not a single market. There are clear differences between coastal and inland areas, mature metropolises and emerging cities, and traditional channels and digital ecosystems. National data is therefore more useful as market context, while specific projects still need to be assessed by city, channel and product category.
Data source: National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2025.
Cities & Economic Centres
Cities & Economic Centres
Business opportunities in China are distributed across multiple cities and regions. In addition to major economic centres such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Chongqing, a number of cities are also maintaining relatively rapid growth.
Shanghai
One of China's most important international trade and business centres, and a key point of entry for imported goods, international brands and professional services.
Beijing
An important national political, economic and business centre, with a high concentration of corporate headquarters and institutional resources.
Guangzhou
An important trade and business centre in South China, closely connected to food, catering, wholesale, import and exhibition markets.
Shenzhen
An important centre for technology, innovation and the digital economy, and a major business node in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area.
Chengdu & Chongqing
Important consumer and business centres in western China, offering a market environment different from coastal cities for companies seeking inland expansion.
High-growth cities · Real GDP growth in selected cities in 2025Hefei
+6.1% Wuhan
+5.6% Shenzhen
+5.5% Suzhou
+5.4% Hangzhou
+5.2%
+6.1%
+5.6%
+5.5%
+5.4%
+5.2%
A city's growth rate alone does not represent the market potential of a particular product, but it can help companies identify the pace of development and changing commercial focus across different regions of China.
Data sources: National Bureau of Statistics of China and related official statistics, 2025.
Italy–China Trade & Food DataItaly–China Trade &
Italy–China Trade &
Italian Food & Beverages
Italy already has an established trade foundation with China, but data from different statistical bodies may vary by period, currency, country of origin and place-of-dispatch rules. Food and beverages are an important area for observing the performance of Italian products in the Chinese market.
Use the controls below to switch between overall trade and food-and-beverage data. Hover over a figure, or focus it with the keyboard, to read its period, meaning and statistical basis.
2024
Latest 2025 period data
How to read these figures
Chinese Customs and Eurostat results may differ because of currency, statistical period, country-of-origin rules, place-of-dispatch rules and statistical methods.
Therefore, data based on different statistical methods should be read separately and should not be combined directly without verification.
Sources: ICE Beijing, Chinese Customs and Eurostat.
January–April 2025
For Italian food companies, national trade data only describes the overall context. Specific market opportunities still need to be assessed in relation to product category, import requirements, target cities and sales channels.
Italian Wine
Italian Wine
Italian wine has already reached a certain scale in China's import market, with sparkling wine showing relatively clear growth.
Food and beverage data and wine data do not use exactly the same statistical scope or period and should be read separately.
From Data to Market Assessment
From Data to Market Assessment
These figures can help companies understand the scale of the Chinese market, regional differences and the trade background of Italian products, but they cannot replace an assessment of a specific project.
Product
Product category, positioning and applicable import requirements.
City
Whether the target market is a national centre, a coastal market or a growing inland city.
Channel
Importers, distributors, foodservice, retail, ecommerce and digital platforms have different entry conditions.
Operating model
Direct export, finding a Chinese partner or establishing a local operating structure create different project requirements.
LuxurEat China
Planning to enter the Chinese market?
If you would like to assess product imports, sourcing in China or local business opportunities further, you can discuss the specific project with LuxurEat China.
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