China's foreign trade up 18.3% in first two months of 2026

China's foreign trade surged 18.3% year-on-year in the first two months of 2026, marking a robust start to the year, according to Tuesday's data from the General Administration of Customs.

The strong performance was attributed to recovering global demand, policy dividends, China's industrial strengths, and renewed vitality among small market entities, said Yan Min, a division head at the State Information Center's Department of Economic Forecasting.

Total goods trade volume reached 7.73 trillion yuan ($1.12 trillion) during the period.

Exports rose 19.2% from the same period last year to 4.62 trillion yuan, while imports increased 17.1% to 3.11 trillion yuan.

Trade with major partners continued to expand. China's trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) reached 1.24 trillion yuan, up 20.3% year-on-year, while trade with the European Union rose 19.9% to 998.94 billion yuan. Meanwhile, China's trade with the United States totaled 609.71 billion yuan, down 16.9% compared with a year earlier.

Trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative also maintained strong momentum, rising 20% year-on-year to 4.02 trillion yuan.

Private enterprises continued to play a leading role in driving foreign trade growth. During the January–February period, private firms recorded 4.51 trillion yuan in trade, up 22.8% year-on-year. Foreign-invested enterprises reported 2.2 trillion yuan, up 15.3%, while state-owned enterprises logged 1 trillion yuan, up 7.4%.