China’s foreign trade gathered pace in the first nine months of 2026, with imports and exports posting their strongest growth for the same period in five years, as rising demand for high-tech and green products helped drive a sharp acceleration in trade. The country’s total imports and exports climbed 18.8 per cent year on year to RMB39.94 trillion (approximately US$5.59 trillion) between January and September, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC).
Exports rose 16.4 per cent to RMB23.2 trillion (US$3.25 trillion), while imports surged 22.3 per cent to RMB16.74 trillion (US$2.34 trillion), the figures showed. Trade growth accelerated throughout the period, increasing from 15.3 per cent in the first quarter to 18.3 per cent in the second and 22.3 per cent in the third, signalling strengthening momentum as the year progressed.
September delivered a particularly strong performance, with total imports and exports reaching RMB5.16 trillion (US$722 billion), up 27.5 per cent from a year earlier. The monthly total surpassed the RMB5 trillion (US$700 billion) threshold for the first time. “Looking at the broader trend, foreign trade growth in the first three quarters was the fastest for the same period in the past five years, with both quarterly and monthly growth rates generally accelerating,” Wang Jun, deputy head of the GAC, said at a press briefing.
He added that the latest international data placed China’s trade growth among the fastest recorded by major economies, while the country retained its position as the world’s largest trader of goods. China’s export mix also continued to shift towards smarter, higher-value and greener products, reflecting the growing importance of advanced manufacturing in its trade performance.
Exports of integrated circuits almost doubled, soaring 99.1 per cent year on year in the first three quarters. Shipments of electric vehicles jumped 72.3 per cent, while exports of lithium batteries rose 36.4 per cent and those of wind power generating sets and their parts increased 22.4 per cent.
The figures highlight the growing contribution of technology-intensive and clean-energy products to China’s export expansion, as the country’s overall trade momentum strengthened through the first three quarters of the year.