China Export Data

Purpose: Provide programmatic access to China export trade statistics sourced from the public data of China General Administration of Customs (http://stats.customs.gov.cn), compiled and aggregated by doumaotong.com for research, market baseline analysis, and trade data reference.

Target Users: Researchers, analysts, students, small business owners, and anyone needing factual China export data for reference purposes.

Data Provenance:

• Source: Public export statistics published by China General Administration of Customs — http://stats.customs.gov.cn/
• Aggregation: Data is compiled, structured, and served by doumaotong.com (independent third-party platform)
• Relationship: This SKILL does not connect directly to customs systems; it queries pre-aggregated tables derived from official customs monthly bulletins
• Typical lag: 1-2 months behind official customs release
• Verification: For authoritative primary data, access directly via http://stats.customs.gov.cn/indexEn or UN Comtrade

REST API Endpoints

The following 5 API endpoints provide programmatic access to pre-aggregated China export data compiled from customs statistics. All responses are JSON format with code and data fields.

Base URL: https://doumaotong.com

Authentication: No API keys, tokens, or login credentials are required for current endpoints. Open access with standard HTTP GET requests.

Privacy Notice: Query parameters including HS codes, country codes, and request timestamps are transmitted to doumaotong.com servers. No personal identification data is collected.

API-1: Product Export Dashboard

Endpoint: GET /skill/dashboard

Description: Returns core business metrics for a given HS code over the most recent 12 months. Based on the pre-aggregated hs_base_metrics table compiled from customs data, single-index query, extremely fast.

Parameters:

Example Request:

GET /skill/dashboard?hsCode=85171200
GET /skill/dashboard?hsCode=85171200&currentMonth=202503

Response Fields:

API-2: Target Market Analysis

Endpoint: GET /skill/markets

Description: Lists all destination countries for a given HS code, sorted by export value. Based on hs_count_month table compiled from customs data, returns only pre-computed fields (no cross-period real-time calculation).

Parameters:

Example Request:

GET /skill/markets?hsCode=85171200
GET /skill/markets?hsCode=85171200&sortBy=amount&order=desc&minAmount=1000000&limit=20

Response Fields (per market entry):

API-3: Monthly Trend Tracking

Endpoint: GET /skill/trend

Description: Returns the monthly export amount trend for a specific HS code to a specific country over the most recent 12 months. Fixed time range, no dynamic column name construction, cache-friendly.

Parameters:

Example Request:

GET /skill/trend?hsCode=85171200&countryCode=502

Response Fields:

API-4: Top Products & Growth Ranking

Endpoint: GET /skill/topProducts

Description: Discover products with rapid recent growth or massive volume based on the hs_base_metrics table compiled from customs data (only ~25,000 rows, fast query).

Parameters:

Example Request:

GET /skill/topProducts
GET /skill/topProducts?sortBy=growth&regionFilter=asia&minAmount=5000000&limit=20

Response Fields (per product):

API-5: Historical Export Records (2-Year Detail)

Endpoint: GET /skill/history

Description: Returns the most recent 24 months of monthly export amount detail and annual summaries for a specific product-country combination. Only amount columns are retrieved (no growth columns), fixed 24-month range.

Parameters:

Example Request:

GET /skill/history?hsCode=85171200&countryCode=502

Response Fields:

summaryStats Fields:

Error Handling:

• If hsCode + countryCode combination has no records: returns 404 with message "该商品对此国家暂无出口记录"
• If a month has no export record, amount returns 0

Access Logging

All 5 API endpoints automatically log each access to the hs_skill_access_log table with:

• id: UUID
• ip: Client IP address
• path: API path accessed
• par: Request parameters
• create_time: Auto-generated timestamp

Official Data Sources for Verification

Source 1: China Customs Statistics (Primary Source of This Data)

Website: http://stats.customs.gov.cn/indexEn

What it contains:

• Official export statistics from China's General Administration of Customs
• More granular data than UN Comtrade
• Port-level breakdowns
• Trade mode classifications
• Domestic destination information

Best for:

• Most authoritative China-specific data
• Port and regional analysis within China
• Recent monthly data (1-2 month lag)
• Detailed product classifications

Navigation Guide:

English Interface Navigation:

Home (http://stats.customs.gov.cn/indexEn)
├── Query by HS Code
│   ├── Select Year/Month
│   ├── Select HS Code (Chapter → Heading → Subheading)
│   ├── Select Trade Flow (Export/Import)
│   └── Select Filters (optional)
├── Query by Country/Region
│   ├── Select Partner Country
│   ├── Select Time Period
│   └── Select Product Category
└── Query by Customs Port
    ├── Select Port
    ├── Select Time Period
    └── Select Product/Partner

Source 2: UN Comtrade Database

Website: https://comtradeplus.un.org/

What it contains:

• China's exports reported to the UN by partner countries
• Mirror data (what partner countries report importing from China)
• Global coverage with standardized HS codes
• Historical data from 1962 to present

Best for:

• Comparing China with other exporting countries
• Analyzing China's exports to specific destination markets
• Long-term historical trend analysis
• Cross-country benchmarking

Access methods:

API Registration:

1. Visit https://uncomtrade.org/docs/api-subscription-keys/
2. Create account
3. Request API key for "comtrade - v1" (free tier: 100 calls/hour)
4. Premium tier available for unlimited access

How to Query Data

Step-by-Step: China Customs Web Query (Primary Source)

Step 1: Access English Interface
→ Go to http://stats.customs.gov.cn/indexEn

Step 2: Choose Query Type
→ "Query by HS Code" for product-focused search
→ "Query by Country/Region" for market-focused search
→ "Query by Customs Port" for logistics analysis

Step 3: Set Parameters
For HS Code Query:
→ Select Year and Month (or range)
→ Click HS Code selector
   • Expand chapters (01-97)
   • Select 2-digit chapter
   • Select 4-digit heading
   • Select 6-digit subheading (optional)
→ Select Trade Flow: "Export"
→ Apply additional filters (optional):
   • Trade Mode (General, Processing, etc.)
   • Customs Port
   • Domestic Destination
   • Transport Mode

Step 4: Execute Query
→ Click "Query" button
→ Wait for results (may take 10-30 seconds)

Step 5: Review Results
→ Table shows: HS Code, Description, Unit, Quantity, Value
→ Click column headers to sort
→ Use pagination for large result sets

Step 6: Export Data
→ Click "Export" or download icon
→ Choose format (Excel/CSV)
→ Save to local drive

Step-by-Step: UN Comtrade Web Query

Step 1: Access Query Builder
→ Go to https://comtradeplus.un.org/lab?r=156
   (Pre-filtered for China as reporter)

Step 2: Select Trade Flow
→ Click "Flow" dropdown
→ Select "Exports" (or "Re-exports" if needed)

Step 3: Select Partner Country
→ Click "Partner" field
→ Search and select destination country
→ Or select "All" for global exports

Step 4: Select Product (HS Code)
→ Click "Commodity Code" field
→ Choose classification level:
   • HS 2-digit (broad category, e.g., "84 - Machinery")
   • HS 4-digit (specific heading)
   • HS 6-digit (detailed subheading)
→ Enter or select code

Step 5: Select Time Period
→ Choose "Year" (single or range)
→ For monthly data, select specific months

Step 6: Run Query
→ Click "Preview" for quick view
→ Click "Download" for CSV/Excel export

Step 7: Interpret Results
Columns explained:
• Reporter: Exporting country (China)
• Partner: Importing country
• Trade Value (USD): Export value in US dollars
• Netweight (kg): Quantity in kilograms
• Quantity: Alternative unit (if applicable)

Data Dictionary

Common Fields Explained

HS Code Structure

HS Code Hierarchy Example (Electronics):

85          ← Chapter (2-digit): Electrical machinery
  ↓
8517        ← Heading (4-digit): Telephone sets
  ↓
8517.12     ← Subheading (6-digit): Phones for cellular networks
  ↓
8517.12.00  ← Full code (8-digit): Detailed classification

Where to find HS codes:
• https://www.trade.gov/harmonized-system-hs-codes
• https://www.foreign-trade.com/reference/hscode.htm
• China Customs website HS code lookup

Data Reliability & Limitations

Update Schedule

Known Limitations

Disclaimer

This SKILL provides aggregated trade data for reference and research purposes only. The underlying source is the public data published by China General Administration of Customs (http://stats.customs.gov.cn/), compiled and served by doumaotong.com. For legally binding or high-stakes business decisions, always verify directly with China Customs or UN Comtrade.

Quick Reference Card

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              CHINA EXPORT DATA - QUICK ACCESS              │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ PRIMARY SOURCE                                             │
│ China Customs: stats.customs.gov.cn/indexEn               │
│ Best for: Authoritative official data, port details          │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ REST API ENDPOINTS (Aggregated via doumaotong.com)         │
│ Dashboard:    GET /skill/dashboard?hsCode=XXXX             │
│ Markets:      GET /skill/markets?hsCode=XXXX               │
│ Trend:        GET /skill/trend?hsCode=X&countryCode=Y      │
│ Top Products: GET /skill/topProducts                       │
│ History:      GET /skill/history?hsCode=X&countryCode=Y    │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ UN COMTRADE                                                │
│ URL: comtradeplus.un.org                                   │
│ Best for: Global comparison, historical data               │
│ API: 100 calls/hour (free)                                 │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ HS CODE LOOKUP                                             │
│ trade.gov/harmonized-system-hs-codes                       │
│ foreign-trade.com/reference/hscode.htm                     │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Output Formats

When retrieving data, you can typically export as:

Recommended: CSV for analysis, Excel for sharing