Factories hum on rising overseas demand

China signaled stronger policy support for foreign trade during the two sessions. According to the draft Government Work Report submitted to the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress for deliberation, the country will work to stabilize the scale of foreign trade while improving its structure by expanding trade in intermediate goods, advancing digital and green trade, and boosting border trade.

In 2025, exports of mechanical and electrical products through Ningbo port reached 1.09 trillion yuan ($159 billion), up 10.6 percent year-on-year. Among these, exports of electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries surged by 305.8 percent and 129.1 percent, respectively, on a yearly basis, data from Ningbo Customs showed.

Li Jun, a researcher at the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said China's foreign trade is set to maintain its scale advantage in imports and exports in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, while placing greater emphasis on improving quality, efficiency and the transition to new growth drivers.

"The country's position as the world's largest trader in goods is expected to be further consolidated, with high-quality development — characterized by innovation, green and low-carbon practices and deeper industrial integration — becoming more pronounced," said Li.

Lyu Daliang, director-general of the department of statistics and analysis at the General Administration of Customs, shared a similar view. "China's high-tech, high value-added products — including intermediate goods, key components, machinery and artificial intelligence equipment — are poised to become the main engines of export growth," he said.

China's foreign trade expanded 3.8 percent year-on-year to 45.47 trillion yuan in 2025. The country saw its exports of high-tech products surge 13.2 percent on a yearly basis to 5.25 trillion yuan, data from the GAC showed.

In the meantime, the nation's "new trio" of green exports — electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products — collectively rose 27.1 percent year-on-year. Wind turbine exports also grew sharply, climbing 48.7 percent from the previous year.

Zhao Ping, head of the academy of the Beijing-based China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said China's foreign trade will continue to consolidate its presence in traditional markets while accelerating efforts to expand into and deepen engagement with emerging markets. This shift is expected to bring systemic and strategic improvements in the diversification of its trading partners.

"This approach represents not only a proactive response to external market uncertainties and a method of strengthening the resilience of foreign trade, but also a necessary step toward deeper integration into Global South cooperation networks and the promotion of a more inclusive and balanced global trading system," she noted.

China's trade network continued to expand, covering more than 240 countries and regions worldwide in 2025, with import and export value registering growth in over 190 of these markets, said the GAC.

Notably, trade with economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative became a key growth engine. China's trade with BRI partner countries reached 23.6 trillion yuan last year, increasing 6.3 percent year-on-year and accounting for 51.9 percent of the country's total foreign trade value.

Guo Xueyan, director-general of the GAC's department of international cooperation, said that Chinese exporters are expected to gain more efficient and accessible channels to explore and develop emerging markets, due to support from platforms such as the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, Silk Road e-commerce initiatives and overseas economic and trade cooperation zones.