China's foreign trade growth picks up pace on stellar imports, booming AI demand
Summary
China's foreign trade grew 20 percent year on year in the first 10 months of 2026, driven by surging imports and strong demand for electronic components tied to the global AI boom. Exports of integrated circuits, memory components and new energy products also posted sharp gains.
Key Points
- China's total goods trade rose 20 percent year on year to 44.81 trillion yuan in the first 10 months of 2026, with imports up 23.6 percent and exports up 17.6 percent.
- Imports from more than 150 countries and regions increased, with ASEAN, Latin America and Africa all reaching record highs for the period.
- AI-related demand lifted exports of chips, computer parts and other electronic components, while smart and green products saw strong growth.
- Trade with ASEAN, the EU, the U.S. and Belt and Road participating countries also expanded over the same period.
