Guests learn about a product at an exhibition during the 2026 China Smart Energy Conference in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province, July 9, 2026. [Photo/Xinhua]
China's foreign trade grew by 16.9 percent on a yearly basis to 25.47 trillion yuan ($3.76 trillion) in the first half of 2026, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Tuesday.
The country's exports rose 13.4 percent year-on-year to 14.73 trillion yuan, while its imports jumped 22.1 percent on a yearly basis to 10.74 trillion yuan.
Speaking at a news conference in Beijing, Wang Jun, GAC vice-minister, said the structure of China's exports continued to improve in the first half, with shipments of mechanical and electrical products rising 20.1 percent year-on-year to 9.36 trillion yuan, accounting for 63.5 percent of the country's total exports, up 3.5 percentage points from the same period a year earlier.
Wang said the rapid development of artificial intelligence has driven strong growth in trade in AI-related products.
