What changed
China’s goods trade reached 39.94 trillion yuan in the first three quarters of 2026, up 18.8% from a year earlier. Exports rose 16.4%, imports 22.3%, and September trade crossed 5 trillion yuan for the first time, reaching 5.16 trillion yuan.
The standout engine was equipment manufacturing, which supplied nearly 90% of the increase in exports. Trade in industrial robots, electronic components, computer parts and electrical equipment rose 58.9%, while foreign-invested companies in China increased their trade by 19%.
Why it matters
This is more than a bigger monthly number. It shows China’s trade growth leaning heavily on machinery, components and industrial capacity rather than only on finished consumer goods. That gives manufacturers and trading partners a larger commercial stake in China’s production network.
The mix also points to a two-way relationship. Imports of integrated circuits rose 56.6%, while imports of Malaysian durians climbed 3.3 times. China is selling advanced equipment abroad while buying more inputs, food and other goods from overseas suppliers.
Foreign-invested companies are part of that momentum, not spectators to it. Their trade reached a record level for the period, reinforcing China’s role as a base for production, sourcing and innovation aimed beyond its own market.
The informed reading is that China’s trade has found fresh momentum in advanced manufacturing and a broadening import market. Whether that strength lasts will depend on how much reflects durable demand rather than temporary shifts in inventories, prices or trade routes. For now, the 140th Canton Fair, which opened on 14 October, arrives with unusually strong numbers behind the country’s pitch to global buyers and suppliers.
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