SCIO briefing on China's imports, exports in Q1 2026

Elephant News:

We have noticed that in recent years, the import and export performance of the central and western regions has been remarkable. I would like to ask, in the first quarter, what are the driving forces supporting imports in these regions? What role did they play in the growth in the nation's overall imports and exports? Thank you.

Wang Jun:

Thank you for your questions. The central and western regions are an important force in stabilizing foreign trade and expanding the opening up of China. In the first quarter of this year, the central and western regions' imports and exports totaled 2.21 trillion yuan, up more than 20% year-on-year, contributing 24% to the overall growth of national foreign trade. The continued leading performance of the central and western regions' foreign trade is mainly due to the following aspects.

The first is the strong growth in imports. In the first quarter, imports in the central and western regions grew by 30.9%, 11.3 percentage points higher than the national overall import growth rate. The industrial transformation in the central and western regions has accelerated. Driven by modern equipment manufacturing and high-tech industries, demand for industrial raw materials and components has been strong, with imports of metal ores, electronic components, and basic mechanical parts all growing by more than 30%. At the same time, imports of consumer goods in the central and western regions also grew by over 20%, with the growth rate 18.4 percentage points higher than the national overall level.

The second is the robust support of industries. Leveraging their advantages in wind, solar, and hydropower, as well as lithium salt resources, and based on a solid foundation in the new energy vehicle industry, the central and western regions have opened up a "new track" in the green industry. In the first quarter, the export growth rate of the "new trio," namely, new energy vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products, from the central and western regions was 24.7 percentage points higher than that of these products nationwide, among which electric vehicles and photovoltaic products accounted for more than 40% and 30% of the national total, respectively. In terms of traditional electrical and mechanical products, the industrial advantages of the central and western regions are also relatively prominent. For example, 4 out of every 10 internal combustion engine motorcycles exported by China come from the central and western regions. Recently, as everyone knows, the domestically produced "Zhang Xue Motorcycle," which is well known for winning a championship in the international competition, comes from here. In the first quarter, the central and western regions exported 1.754 million internal combustion engine motorcycles, an increase of 7% year-on-year. In addition, high-quality agricultural products with regional characteristics from the central and western regions are gaining popularity overseas. For example, the farmed trout from the western region, known for tender and tasty meat, saw an increase of 10.1% in the first quarter, while the sweet and delicious citrus from the central region recorded a 12.8% export growth.

Third, connectivity development has provided strong impetus. As construction on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor picks up speed, China-Europe freight trains operate steadily, and the "Air Silk Road" continues to expand, China's central and western regions are accelerating the pace of foreign trade growth. In the first quarter, imports and exports via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in these regions grew by 22.5%. Foreign trade transported by rail and air increased by 21.5% and 23.9%, respectively. Meanwhile, China has continued to upgrade and expand capacity at border ports and accelerate the development of smart ports. The central and western regions have become key gateways to emerging markets. In the first quarter, their trade with neighboring countries exceeded 900 billion yuan, with double-digit growth recorded in trade with countries such as Laos and Turkmenistan.

Last month, the GACC, together with 24 other government departments, launched the 2026 Special Action on Facilitating Cross-border Trade. Focusing on five areas, namely deepening innovation in customs clearance supervision models, improving regulatory services for new forms and models of foreign trade, enhancing cross-border logistics efficiency, strengthening the development and connectivity of smart ports, and improving comprehensive services for enterprises, a new round of 29 facilitation measures was introduced to boost the quality and efficiency of foreign trade. The number of pilot cities increased from 25 last year to 45, including 16 in the central and western regions, accounting for more than one third of the total. This will provide stronger momentum for further opening up in the central and western regions.

Thank you.