China's foreign trade rises 18.3% in first two months

China's foreign trade rose 18.3 percent year-on-year to 7.73 trillion yuan ($1.12 trillion) in the first two months of 2026, data released by the General Administration of Customs on Tuesday showed.

During the same period, the country's exports rose to 4.62 trillion yuan, up 19.2 percent from a year earlier, while imports climbed to 3.11 trillion yuan, increasing 17.1 percent year-on-year.

China's exports of mechanical and electrical products amounted to 2.89 trillion yuan in the first two months, surging 24.3 percent year-on-year.

Over the same timeframe, China's trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations rose 20.3 percent year-on-year, while trade with the European Union surged 19.9 percent and trade with economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative grew 20 percent.