January – February: double-digit growth of Chinese abroad trade

chiny24.com 1 month ago

On March 11, China's Central Customs Office published data showing that in the first 2 months of 2026 the value of imports and exports of goods increased by 18.3% year-on-year, which means a better start than expected in the fresh year.

Export

In the export area, fresh growth factors are increasing:

market diversification – brings tangible results,
new business models – they are growing.

Between January and February, exports reached 4.62 trillion RMB, which translates into an increase of 19.2% compared to the same period of 2025.

Chinese exports of high-tech and high-value mechanical and electrical products increased by 24.3% (r/r) during this period.

Import

As far as imports are concerned, strong consumption during the spring holidays and the persistent request for abroad goods made imports in the first 2 months 3.11 trillion RMB, an increase of 17.1% (r/r).

Foreign trade in different angles

In terms of trading partners:

China's trade with ASEAN reached 1.24 trillion RMB (+20.3% y/y) in the period analysed;
with the European Union, RMB 998.94 billion (+19.9%);
However, with the United States, RMB 609.71 billion, a decrease of 16.9%.

In the same period, China's combined trade with the countries participating in the "One Belt, 1 Road" initiative reached 4.02 trillion RMB, with an increase of 20%.

By economical operators:

private companies recorded an increase in trade by 22.8%;
companies with abroad capital – by 15.3%;
State-owned companies – by 7.4%

Reasons for Recovery and Perspectives

A good start to Chinese abroad trade in 2026 is due to 4 key factors:

relaunching global demand,
the effects of economical policy,
industrial advantage and
the extraordinary dynamics of microeconomic entities.

However, experts stress that vigilance should be maintained against persistent uncertainties and unpredictable external factors. In particular, the fresh escalation of geopolitical conflicts importantly disrupts global industrial and commercial chains, which could affect further growth trajectory.

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