China's service trade grows 7.6% in first three quarters

People watch a delivery robot demonstration during the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's service trade maintained steady growth in the first three quarters of the year, with total imports and exports reaching nearly 5.94 trillion yuan (about $838 billion), up 7.6% year on year, the Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday.

Specifically, service exports rose 14.4% to over 2.6 trillion yuan, while imports increased 2.8% to over 3.33 trillion yuan, according to the ministry's data. The service trade deficit narrowed by 238.24 billion yuan compared to the same period last year.

Knowledge-intensive services saw continued growth in trade, with imports and exports totaling about 2.27 trillion yuan, up 6.4% year on year.

Travel service trade totaled nearly 1.64 trillion yuan, up 8.8% from a year earlier.

Notably, the exports of travel services surged 54.4% during the period, according to the data.