Foreign trade grew by 16.9% in the first half of the year, led by machinery and electrical equipment as well as high‑tech products, with the structure continuing to shift toward higher value added.

2026-07-17

According to customs statistics, in the first half of 2026, China’s total value of goods trade—imports and exports—reached RMB 25.47 trillion, up 16.9% year on year. Specifically, exports totaled RMB 14.73 trillion, an increase of 13.4%, while imports amounted to RMB 10.74 trillion, up 22.1%. In June alone, the total value of imports and exports reached RMB 4.78 trillion, a year-on-year rise of 24.2%, marking the 17th consecutive month of positive growth. The efforts to maintain stable trade volumes and optimize the trade structure continue to yield tangible results.

The export structure continues to upgrade, with the share of electromechanical products exceeding 60 percent.
   From the perspective of export structure, the product mix continues to upgrade. In the first half of the year, exports of electromechanical products reached 9.36 trillion yuan, up 20.1%, accounting for 63.5% of total exports—a share that increased by 3.5 percentage points compared with the same period last year. Exports of high‑tech products totaled 3.26 trillion yuan, growing by 39.0%, further shifting the export structure toward higher value‑added segments and underscoring the continued strengthening of China’s competitiveness within global supply chains.

Imports are growing faster than exports, and the pull of domestic demand is becoming evident.
   On the import side, growth outpaced that of exports by 8.7 percentage points, bringing imports and exports closer to balance. Imports of energy and other bulk commodities rose 3.4%, while imports of mechanical and electrical products increased by 28.0% and agricultural products by 8.6%. The demand‑driven effect continues to manifest, with both domestic consumption and production needs providing a solid foundation for import growth.

Diversified market deployment is deepening, with private enterprises continuing to lead.
   In terms of the trade partner structure, the diversification of market deployment continues to strengthen. In the first half of the year, China’s imports and exports with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative totaled RMB 12.97 trillion, up 14.8% and accounting for 50.9% of the country’s total foreign trade value; trade with neighboring countries reached RMB 9.44 trillion, an increase of 20.6%; trade with Latin America and Africa grew by 16.2% and 19.6%, respectively, while trade with the European Union expanded by 10.2%.

   On the business‑entity front, private enterprises recorded imports and exports totaling RMB 14.53 trillion, up 17.0% and accounting for 57.0% of China’s total foreign trade value, thereby maintaining their position as the largest trading entity. Foreign‑invested enterprises and state‑owned enterprises saw their imports and exports grow by 17.1% and 16.8%, respectively. With all types of market players contributing in tandem, China’s foreign trade has advanced steadily while improving in quality.