31.07.2026 Trade & Markets #China #Export #Import #Statistics #Trade agreements

China's H1 2026 trade tops 25 trillion yuan for the first time, up 16.9%

China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) briefed the State Council Information Office on July 14 on first-half 2026 trade results: total trade reached 25.47 trillion yuan (roughly $3.75 trillion), up 16.9% year-on-year and, for the first time, above the 25-trillion-yuan mark for a half-year period (CCTV). Exports rose to 14.73 trillion yuan (+13.4%), while imports climbed to 10.74 trillion yuan (+22.1%) — imports outpaced exports by nearly 9 percentage points (CCTV).

Quarterly acceleration and product mix

The second quarter was the strongest since 2021: trade reached 13.61 trillion yuan, up 18.4%, the fastest quarterly growth since Q3 2021. June alone grew 24.2% year-on-year, marking the 17th consecutive month of expansion (CCTV).

Export composition shifted noticeably toward higher-value technology goods:

• electronic components and computer parts — +56.6%, reaching 5.13 trillion yuan;
• machinery and electrical equipment — +20.1%, to 9.36 trillion yuan (63.5% of total exports, up 3.5 percentage points year-on-year);
• high-tech products — +39%, to 3.26 trillion yuan (CCTV);
• electric vehicle exports jumped 68.7%, while lithium battery and wind power equipment exports both grew more than 35% (Chinanews).

On the import side, raw materials and components led the pace: metal ore imports rose 22.6%, electronic component imports 45.6% (Chinanews).

What it means for importers and exporters

Two trends stand out for companies trading with China. First, imports outgrowing exports signals recovering domestic demand, widening opportunities for suppliers of raw materials, components and consumer goods into the Chinese market. Second, export momentum is concentrated in electronics, EVs and green-energy equipment — traders in these categories should plan for tighter logistics capacity and stronger competition along these routes as volumes keep climbing.

Trade with China's free trade agreement partners (31 countries) grew 28.1%, lifting their share of China's total foreign trade to 46.5% (Chinanews) — a signal that countries with active FTAs enjoy preferential access to the fastest-growing trade flows.

Belt and Road share and regional breakdown

Trade with Belt and Road countries grew 14.8% to 12.97 trillion yuan, taking their share to 50.9% of China's total turnover (CCTV). Trade with Africa rose 19.6%, with Latin America 16.2%, and with the EU 10.2% (CCTV; Chinanews). Trade with the United States totaled 2 trillion yuan, or 7.9% of China's overall turnover (Chinanews) — growth-rate data for this bilateral flow was not available in open sources at the time of publication.

Primary sources

• CCTV English: China's H1 foreign trade posts 16.9 pct growth with optimized structure
• Chinanews: 首破25万亿元！上半年中国外贸成绩单如何看？

This material is for information only and does not constitute legal advice or customs consulting. Verify changes against the primary sources before acting.