Economic Watch: China's foreign trade maintains solid growth as resilience holds

A drone photo taken on 合肥肥东县临河镇新闻网May 9, 2026 shows a container ship berthed at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. China's foreign trade in yuan-denominated terms grew 14.2 percent year on year in April, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Saturday. The total value of goods imports and exports reached 4.38 trillion yuan (about 639.4 billion U.S. dollars) last month, the data showed. In the first four months, total foreign trade reached 16.23 trillion yuan, up 14.9 percent year on year. (Photo by Yu Fangping/Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade maintained solid growth as coordinated policy efforts across regions and departments boosted momentum, highlighting the resilience and vitality of imports and exports, official data showed Saturday.

China's foreign trade in yuan-denominated terms grew 14.2 percent year on year to reach 4.38 trillion yuan (about 639.4 billion U.S. dollars) last month, according to data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

Exports rose 9.8 percent to 2.48 trillion yuan, while imports went up 20.6 percent to 1.9 trillion yuan. In the first four months, total foreign trade reached 16.23 trillion yuan, up 14.9 percent year on year.

Lyu Daliang, director of GAC's Department of Statistics and Analysis, said April's trade maintained double-digit year-on-year growth and recorded a 6.5 percent increase from March, underscoring strong resilience and vitality in China's foreign trade.

"Foreign trade has performed well since the start of the year, supported by coordinated policy measures and proactive efforts across regions and departments," Lyu noted.

Exports of mechanical and electrical products, which account for the bulk of China's outbound shipments, rose 17.6 percent in the first four months to 5.92 trillion yuan, making up 63.5 percent of total exports, up 3.4 percentage points from a year earlier.

Among them, exports of green and low-carbon products grew rapidly, with electric vehicles, lithium batteries and wind turbines rising 68.1 percent, 43.2 percent, and 40.7 percent, respectively.

Private enterprises remained the largest contributor to trade, with imports and exports rising 15.9 percent to 9.31 trillion yuan, accounting for 57.4 percent of the total.

Analysts said the strong export performance reflected a combination of recovering global demand and China's ability to provide reliable, cost-effective supply, supported by a comprehensive industrial ecosystem.

On the import side, continued expansion of China's domestic market and industrial upgrading have driven demand for raw materials and advanced equipment. Imports of key commodities such as crude oil, iron ore and soybeans continued to grow, while purchases of high-tech components and machinery increased as new quality productive forces developed.

Saturday's data also showed that China's trade diversification continued to deepen. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remained China's largest trading partner, with trade rising 15.7 percent, followed by the European Union, with a 13.2 percent increase. Trade with Belt and Road partner countries grew 13.5 percent, offsetting declines in trade with the United States.

Trade with African countries rose 19.4 percent to exceed 800 billion yuan for the first time for the same period, and the momentum is expected to strengthen.

"Under the zero-tariff arrangement for 53 African nations implemented on May 1, seasonal African agricultural products such as apples, oranges and avocados have already begun entering the Chinese market," Lyu said, adding that China's vast market is creating new development opportunities for Africa.

In recent years, China has taken concrete steps to promote a more balanced development of imports and exports, optimize its trade structure, and pursue high-quality growth.

Policymakers have rolled out major initiatives, including lowering China's average tariff rate and leveraging major exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo to create important platforms for two-way opening up. ■

A drone photo taken on May 9, 2026 shows a truck trailer being hoisted onto a cargo ship at Yantai Port, east China's Shandong Province. China's foreign trade in yuan-denominated terms grew 14.2 percent year on year in April, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Saturday.

The total value of goods imports and exports reached 4.38 trillion yuan (about 639.4 billion U.S. dollars) last month, the data showed.

In the first four months, total foreign trade reached 16.23 trillion yuan, up 14.9 percent year on year. (Photo by Tang Ke/Xinhua)

A drone photo taken on May 9, 2026 shows a container ship reaching Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. China's foreign trade in yuan-denominated terms grew 14.2 percent year on year in April, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Saturday.

The total value of goods imports and exports reached 4.38 trillion yuan (about 639.4 billion U.S. dollars) last month, the data showed.

In the first four months, total foreign trade reached 16.23 trillion yuan, up 14.9 percent year on year. (Photo by Yu Fangping/Xinhua)

A drone photo taken on May 9, 2026 shows a truck trailer being hoisted onto a cargo ship at Yantai Port, east China's Shandong Province. China's foreign trade in yuan-denominated terms grew 14.2 percent year on year in April, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Saturday.

The total value of goods imports and exports reached 4.38 trillion yuan (about 639.4 billion U.S. dollars) last month, the data showed.

In the first four months, total foreign trade reached 16.23 trillion yuan, up 14.9 percent year on year. (Photo by Tang Ke/Xinhua)

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