China's General Administration of Customs recently released import and export data for the first quarter of 2026 during a press conference held by the State Council Information Office. The total value of imports and exports reached a record high for the same period in history, with the quarterly growth rate being the highest in nearly five years. Against the backdrop of rising global trade protectionism and a complex, volatile external environment, what is the true value of this performance report? From where does the resilience and underlying strength of China's foreign trade originate?
According to a report on April 14, the total value of China's goods trade imports and exports in the first quarter of 2026 reached a historic high for the period, with import and export growth returning to double-digit rates. Vice Minister Wang Jun summarized the supporting factors with three key phrases: a stable foundation, abundant vitality, and strong momentum. Amid a complex and severe external environment, China's foreign trade started the year with powerful momentum and a favorable beginning, demonstrating through concrete actions that a "strong start and steady progress" is more than just a slogan.
While many assume China's foreign trade still relies solely on "good quality and low prices," the first-quarter data provides a截然不同的 answer. The structure of export products is undergoing profound changes, with the proportion of mechanical and electrical product exports exceeding 60% for the first time, showing further improvement compared to the same period last year. Among these, exports of green products such as electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and wind turbine generators all achieved rapid growth. From intelligent robots to new energy buses, an increasing number of "Intelligent Chinese Manufacturing" products are reaching global markets. This reflects an accelerating shift in China's exports towards higher value-added, intelligent, and green products, indicating that the era of competing purely on scale and price is over.
If one were to ask what represents the "vitality" of China's foreign trade, the answer would be private enterprises. In the first quarter, the share of import and export volume handled by private enterprises in the total foreign trade value increased further, solidifying their position as the largest constituent of China's foreign trade. Private enterprises are not only flexible in their mechanisms and敏锐 to market changes but are also more willing to "test the waters" in emerging markets and with new product categories.
Simultaneously, China's foreign trade "circle of friends" continues to expand. Trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative now accounts for over half of the total, while growth rates with emerging markets such as ASEAN, Latin America, and Africa generally outpace the overall average, with particularly strong growth momentum in trade with Africa.
While exports were strong, imports were even stronger. It is relatively uncommon in recent years for import growth to outpace export growth in a quarter. Import volumes of energy products and metal ores saw steady growth, while imports of mechanical and electrical products also achieved relatively fast growth. This indicates a recovery in domestic industrial production and investment activity, suggesting that internal demand is becoming an important engine driving foreign trade. This round of trade growth is not solely reliant on external demand but is the result of synergistic "internal and external linkage."
Achieving this "strong opening" in first-quarter foreign trade was no easy feat. The current international situation is turbulent, yet it is precisely under such pressure that China's foreign trade has demonstrated its underlying qualities of a stable foundation, abundant vitality, and strong momentum. From enterprises proactively adapting to changes to stabilize orders and expand markets, to policies providing precise support to overcome development challenges, the resilience of foreign trade is not accidental but an inevitable outcome of long-term accumulation. As stated by the General Administration of Customs, a diversified market structure provides a solid and stable foundation for foreign trade, while the continuously optimized structure is transforming "resilience" into long-term competitiveness.
The transition from reliance on single markets to diversified layouts, and from an export-oriented focus to internal and external linkage, is evident. The "strong start and steady progress" of first-quarter foreign trade is more than just a series of impressive statistics; it is a demonstration of strength within a phase of high-quality development.
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