China Foreign Trade Grows 20 Percent in 2026
China reported a 20 percent increase in foreign trade for the first 10 months of 2026, driven by AI investments and green technology exports.
The General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China reported that foreign trade in goods grew 20 percent year-on-year to 44.81 trillion yuan, or approximately $6.67 trillion, during the first 10 months of 2026. Imports surged 23.6 percent while exports rose 17.6 percent, with October alone seeing a 31.2 percent expansion in goods trade.
Growth was primarily driven by a global investment boom in artificial intelligence, which increased demand for memory components, integrated circuits, and electronic components. Exports of the new three products—lithium batteries, photovoltaic products, and electric vehicles—increased by 46.5 percent.
Trade expanded across several major partners, led by ASEAN at 24.2 percent growth, followed by Belt and Road participating countries at 18.5 percent, the European Union at 8.5 percent, and the United States at 6.3 percent. Lyu Daliang, Director of the Customs Department of Statistics and Analysis, noted that imports from Africa, Latin America, and ASEAN all reached record highs during this period.
