In order to solve the contradictions that the static input-output table cannot be used for dynamic analysis, this paper unified the 2002, 2005, and 2007 input-output tables into 25 industries. Full energy intensity and embodied energy of China's export trade can be calculated quantitatively based on input-output analysis approach. We can get the time series data of 2001-2009 through the corrections of energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product, consumer price index, and exchange rate, and then analyze the trends of energy consumption of key industries. The results show that full energy intensity of China's 25 industries takes on downward trend generally, and the embodied energy of China's export trade is increased firstly and then has a downward trend. Processing trade had great impact on full energy intensity and embodied energy after deducting the processing trade; full energy intensity and embodied energy had decreased greatly. Smelting and pressing of metals, manufacture of chemicals, manufacture of communication equipment, computers, and other electronic equipment, and manufacture of textile are the largest energy-consuming industries of export trade in China. The trends of energy consumption in these four industries are similar to the total energy consumption; changes in export trade is the main reason for this result. Full energy intensity has a certain influence on the trend of energy consumption, but the effect is limited. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.