The Zhitong Finance App learned that on October 14, the State Information Office held a press conference on the import and export situation in the first three quarters of 2026. Wang Jun, press spokesman and deputy director of the General Administration of Customs, said that last month, the China Advanced Manufacturing Conference further clarified the direction of intelligence, greening, and integration. From a practical perspective, as China's advanced manufacturing industry continues to expand and strengthen, industrial system upgrading and integrated development accelerate, and continue to revitalize and empower the growth of foreign trade. In the first three quarters, imports and exports of industrial robots, electronic components, computer parts, electrical equipment and other products totaled more than 10 trillion yuan, an increase of 58.9%, driving the overall import and export growth of 11.3 percentage points. The influence of the “Made in China” brand continued to increase. The export growth rate of independent brands reached 26.7%, accounting for 24.8% of exports, an increase of 2 percentage points over the same period last year.
Wang Jun mentioned that imports grew rapidly in the first three quarters, mainly due to the steady operation of China's economy and the continuous release of hyperscale market effects. The advanced manufacturing industry continues to grow, and demand for various intermediates such as key components is strong. In the first three quarters, China's imported storage components increased 1.5 times, integrated circuits increased 56.6%, and aircraft components increased 17.6%. Improved production activities also provided stable support for upstream raw material imports. In the first three quarters, China imported more than 1.2 billion tons of iron, aluminum, nickel and other metal ores, and more than 400 million tons of oil and gas. At the same time, as China's consumer demand shifts from “whether it's good” to “good or not,” import demand for “good things” from various countries continues to expand. In the first three quarters, China's imports of fresh Malaysian durians increased 3.3 times, Faroese salmon increased by 41.4%, Italian olive oil increased by 28.6%, and French perfume increased by 28.5%.
Wang Jun mentioned that in the first three quarters, China's equipment manufacturing industry played a prominent leading role, contributing nearly 90% to export growth. Intermediate goods account for more than half of the total export value, effectively playing the role of a “stabilizing anchor” in the global production and supply chain. Export products went towards Smart Green, integrated circuit exports increased by 99.1%, and green products such as electric vehicles, lithium batteries, wind turbines and their parts increased by 72.3%, 36.4%, and 22.4%, respectively.
The transcript is as follows:
Zhou Jianshe, Deputy Director of the Information Bureau and press spokesman of the Information Office of the State Council:
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the press conference of the Information Office of the State Council. Economic data will be released on a regular basis today. We invite Mr. Wang Jun, press spokesperson and deputy director of the General Administration of Customs, to introduce the import and export situation in the first three quarters of 2026 and answer everyone's concerns. Also attending today's press conference was Mr. Lu Daliang, press spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs and director of the Statistical Analysis Department.
Now let's ask Mr. Wang Jun for an introduction.
Wang Jun, press spokesperson and deputy director of the General Administration of Customs:
Good morning to all our fellow journalists! It was a pleasure to meet all of you. First, I will brief you on the import and export situation of China's goods trade in the first three quarters of this year, then I will work with my colleagues to answer everyone's concerns.
Since this year, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, China's economy has maintained an overall stable and positive development trend. The high-quality development of foreign trade and the construction of a strong trade nation have continued to advance, imports and exports have grown rapidly, and the quantity and quality have risen sharply. According to customs statistics, in the first three quarters of this year, China's goods trade imports and exports amounted to 39.94 trillion yuan, an increase of 18.8% over the previous year. Among them, exports amounted to 23.2 trillion yuan, an increase of 16.4%, and imports amounted to 16.74 trillion yuan, an increase of 22.3%. There are five main characteristics:
First, imports and exports continue to grow rapidly. In the first quarter of this year, China's imports and exports increased by 15.3%, in the second quarter by 18.3%, and in the third quarter, the growth rate further increased to 22.3%. On a monthly basis, it maintained a double-digit growth rate for 6 consecutive months. In September, imports and exports reached 5.16 trillion yuan, breaking 5 trillion yuan for the first time, an increase of 27.5%. Among them, exports amounted to 3.03 trillion yuan, an increase of 29.6%; imports amounted to 2.13 trillion yuan, an increase of 24.6%.
The second is market diversification, consolidation and expansion. In the first three quarters, China's trade with more than 180 countries and regions around the world increased. Imports and exports to free trade partners amounted to 19.55 trillion yuan, an increase of 30%, contributing more than 70% to the increase in foreign trade. Imports and exports to other APEC economies amounted to 24.07 trillion yuan, an increase of 23.9%. In the same period, imports and exports to ASEAN amounted to 6.84 trillion yuan, an increase of 22.7%; imports and exports to the EU amounted to 4.78 trillion yuan, an increase of 8.4%; trade with the US continued to pick up, with imports and exports reaching 3.18 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.1%.
Third, export momentum continues to grow and improve. In the first three quarters, China's equipment manufacturing industry played a prominent leading role, contributing nearly 90% of export growth. Intermediate goods account for more than half of the total export value, effectively playing the role of a “stabilizing anchor” in the global production and supply chain. Export products went towards Smart Green, integrated circuit exports increased by 99.1%, and green products such as electric vehicles, lithium batteries, wind turbines and their parts increased by 72.3%, 36.4%, and 22.4%, respectively.
Fourth, all types of business entities go hand in hand. In the first three quarters, China's private enterprises imported and exported 22.73 trillion yuan, up 19.1%, accounting for 56.9% of the total value of foreign trade, and continued to maintain the dominant position in foreign trade; foreign-invested enterprises imported and exported 11.69 trillion yuan, an increase of 19%; state-owned enterprises imported and exported 5.46 trillion yuan, an increase of 17.8%.
Fifth, foreign trade is more balanced and coordinated. In the first three quarters, China's imports grew 5.9 percentage points faster than exports. Thanks to the construction of China-Europe trains and new land and sea corridors in the west, the pace of opening up to the outside world has accelerated markedly. Imports and exports in the central region increased by 20.5%, and the western region increased by 25.7%.
Overall, in the first three quarters, China's foreign trade effectively coped with various external shocks and challenges, and maintained a good momentum of development. Although the current international situation is chaotic and intertwined, and various risks and challenges are constantly emerging, the momentum and vitality of China's foreign trade development have been strengthened, and resilience has been demonstrated. There is a foundation and support for the continued growth of imports and exports in the fourth quarter.
National Customs will resolutely implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, faithfully carry out the duties and missions of guarding the country's gates and promoting development, continue to play the role of domestic and international dual-cycle interchange hubs, continuously improve the efficiency and service level of customs supervision, secure the country's security line, and step up cross-border trade facilitation to promote the innovative development, quality and efficiency of foreign trade with better supervision, greater safety, greater convenience, and more strict anti-smuggling results. Thank you.
Zhou Jianshe:
Thank you, Mr. Wang Jun, for the introduction. Now, please raise your hands and ask your news agency before asking questions.
China Central Radio and Television Reporter:
China's foreign trade continued to grow in the first three quarters of this year. What are the highlights and positive changes, and what is your judgment on the next import and export situation? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
Thank you for your question. In the first three quarters of this year, the characteristics of China's foreign trade development can be summed up in four words: “fast, new, excellent, good”: “Fast” means rapid growth. Looking vertically, the growth rate of foreign trade in the first three quarters was the fastest in the same period in the past five years, and the overall quarterly and monthly growth rates showed an acceleration trend. Looking horizontally, the latest international data shows that this trade growth rate is among the leading economies, and China continues to position itself as the largest country in global trade in goods.
“New” means new momentum for development. Last month, the China Advanced Manufacturing Conference further clarified the direction of intelligence, greening, and integration. From a practical perspective, as China's advanced manufacturing industry continues to expand and strengthen, industrial system upgrading and integrated development accelerate, and continue to revitalize and empower the growth of foreign trade. In the first three quarters, imports and exports of industrial robots, electronic components, computer parts, electrical equipment and other products totaled more than 10 trillion yuan, an increase of 58.9%, driving the overall import and export growth of 11.3 percentage points. The influence of the “Made in China” brand continued to increase. The export growth rate of independent brands reached 26.7%, accounting for 24.8% of exports, an increase of 2 percentage points over the same period last year.
“Excellent” means an excellent trade structure. Just now, I introduced the characteristics of China's stable and diverse trading partners in the first three quarters, various types of enterprises going hand in hand, and balanced and coordinated foreign trade development. Judging from the cross-border logistics channels, the structure is also being further optimized. In the first three quarters, economic and trade cooperation between China and neighboring countries continued to deepen, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was deeply integrated and developed, driving the share of road imports and exports to increase by 3.4 percentage points. As the scale of trade in high-tech products, high value-added products, and fresh agricultural and food products expanded, air transport imports and exports increased by 37.2%.
“Good” means open, quality and efficiency are good. China's open “doors” are getting wider and wider, and the space for mutually beneficial international economic and trade cooperation continues to expand, providing reliable supply for the stability of the global production and supply chain, and also providing opportunities for global enterprises to share the Chinese market. In the first three quarters, China achieved two-way growth in imports and exports to more than 120 countries and regions. Among the partners that signed free trade agreements with us, we achieved two-way growth in more than 70% of partner trade, and free trade dividends continued to be released, benefiting all parties.
Overall, China's foreign trade grew strongly in the first three quarters, injecting strong momentum into global economic and trade growth. Regarding foreign trade trends throughout the year, we believe that the current international environment is unstable and there are still many factors that are difficult to predict. Geopolitical conflicts continue to disrupt the global economic and trade order, trade protectionism and unilateralism are on the rise, and foreign trade development is still facing many challenges. At the same time, the world economy is still resilient. China has the advantages and support of a hyperscale market and a complete industrial system. Stock and incremental policies work in synergy, and China's foreign trade will still have the foundation and conditions for steady growth in the next stage.
Thank you.
Hong Kong Dagong Wenhui Media Group Reporter:
We know that high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative continues to advance, continuously injecting new vitality into the economy and trade. I would like to ask you to tell me about the overall foreign trade situation between China and the “Belt and Road” countries in the first three quarters of this year? What are the main new highlights? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
Thank you for your question. I ask Comrade Lu Daliang to answer this question.
Lu Daliang, press spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs and director of the Department of Statistical Analysis:
Thank you to this journalist friend for the question. In recent years, economic and trade cooperation between China and the “Belt and Road” countries has been deepening, and the scale of bilateral trade has been steadily expanding. In the first three quarters of this year, China's imports and exports to the co-founded countries reached 20.37 trillion yuan, an increase of 17.1%, while exports and imports increased by 16.6% and 17.9% respectively. There are three main highlights:
First, there are mutual achievements in foreign trade development. As high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative progresses steadily, the trend of two-way interaction, mutual benefit and win-win situation in foreign trade development between China and the co-building countries is even more obvious. In the first three quarters, China achieved growth in imports and exports with nearly 80% of the co-built countries. Co-built countries accounted for 51% of China's total import and export value, contributing 47.1% to China's foreign trade growth during the same period. According to the latest international data estimates, in the first 7 months, China was the top 3 trading partner of 134 co-founded countries and the largest trading partner of 74 co-founded countries.
Second, cross-border logistics is three-dimensional and diverse. In the first three quarters, China's imports and exports to the co-built countries were 12.99 trillion yuan by means of waterway transport, an increase of 7.1%; imports and exports by road and rail transport accelerated markedly, increasing by 34.1% and 16.4% respectively; imports and exports by air transport increased by 60.1%, leading the growth rate among major modes of transportation. China Customs fully supports the development of the “Air Silk Road”, expands multimodal transport services such as “air to air transfer” and “air and rail intermodal transport”, promotes the “airside direct access” model, reduces delivery, and security checks, and further enhances the efficiency of cross-border air transport.
Third, the space for cooperation continues to expand. In terms of exports, China promoted major landmark projects and “small but beautiful” livelihood projects in an integrated manner. In the first three quarters, exports of contracted projects to co-built countries amounted to nearly 100 billion yuan, continuing to help the construction of major infrastructure projects; exports of surgical robots to co-built countries increased 2.9 times, supporting the co-built country to improve medical and health conditions. In terms of imports, since this year, China Customs has successively implemented integrated regional access to dried chili peppers, cashew nuts, coffee beans, wild aquatic products, etc. from countries that have established diplomatic relations with Africa. In the first three quarters, China's agricultural imports from Egypt, Senegal, Kenya and other countries all maintained more than double-digit growth. Just last month, China Customs also admitted plums and apricots from Tajikistan, bay leaves from Turkey, cherries from South Africa, etc. In the future, more and more high-quality products from co-built countries will enter the Chinese market, continuously expanding the space for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and co-built countries. Thank you.
Elephant News Reporter:
In the first three quarters, China's exports continued to grow at a relatively rapid pace. What are the factors driving growth? Also, what are your predictions for future export trends? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
Thank you for your question. In the first three quarters of this year, China's goods trade exports reached 23.2 trillion yuan, an increase of 16.4%. Among them, the export volume exceeded 8 trillion yuan for the first time in the third quarter, an increase of 22%. We believe that exports have maintained a good growth trend, mainly due to China's complete industrial chain system, continuous development and expansion of advanced manufacturing, and significant enhancements in innovation, competitiveness and comprehensive strength, which can accurately, quickly and effectively respond to global production and consumption needs and provide high-quality and stable supply.
It can be viewed from the two dimensions of production and consumption.
From the production side. In the first three quarters, China's ship exports exceeded 350 billion yuan, an increase of 24.6%. Among them, 300,000 ton tankers, large liquefied petroleum gas carriers, and liquefied natural gas carriers all achieved exponential growth. Green fuel ship types such as methanol and ammonia continued to be iteratively upgraded, adding “oil” and “gas” to global energy transportation. The industrial robot industry accelerated the empowerment of digital intelligence, with exports of nearly 10 billion yuan, an increase of 16.9%, helping trading partner manufacturing transformation and upgrading. Exports of electronic components increased by 70%, and electrical equipment such as wires and cables increased by 25.3%, providing a strong “core” and “pulse” for the development of global AI computing power and power infrastructure. In the face of the unstable situation in the Middle East and tight global supply of energy and chemical raw materials, in the first three quarters, China's exports of basic organic chemicals increased by 24.4%, and plastics in primary forms increased by 32.2%, supplying “liquid” and “materials” to the production of various countries.
From the consumer side. In response to the current trend of scenario-based and personalization in the global consumer sector, we follow “quantity” rather than “heart”, focusing not only on “big orders”, but also on “small demand”. For example, in recent years, immersive first-perspective short video works have become increasingly popular. Domestic companies “tailor” to develop portable shooting devices with functions such as character tracking, voice gesture control, and AI automatic editing, which are popular among short video creators around the world. In the first three quarters, China's exports of digital cameras increased by 40.5%. There are also quite a few similar products. From mini ice machines that are perfectly suited to the needs of outdoor camping and other scenarios, to ready-to-install portable air conditioners, “Made in China” travels across the ocean with high quality and hard technology.
Regarding the export outlook for the fourth quarter, we believe that the fundamentals of current exports have not changed. We will accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the backbone, and provide richer choices for the production and life of our trading partners and global consumers with manufacturing in China, which can both stand at the top and take hold of the earth.
Thank you.
Dazhong News Dazhong Daily Reporter:
This year is the APEC “China Year”. Next month, the 33rd APEC Informal Leaders' Meeting will be held in Shenzhen. Please tell me what are the notable features of the import and export situation with other APEC economies in the first three quarters? How will Customs implement the APEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Consensus? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
Thank you. I ask Comrade Lu Daliang to answer this question.
Lu Daliang:
Thank you for your question. According to China Customs statistics, in the first three quarters of this year, my imports and exports to other APEC economies were 24.07 trillion yuan, an increase of 23.9% over the previous year, accounting for 60.3% of our total import and export value, an increase of 2.5 percentage points over the same period last year. This year's APEC “China Year” focuses on the three priority areas of “openness, innovation, and cooperation”. This is also an important password for the rapid growth of my trade with other APEC economies.
Openness is the lifeblood of Asia-Pacific cooperation. Currently, 15 other APEC economies have signed free trade agreements with me. In the first three quarters, my total imports and exports to APEC free trade partners amounted to 18.2 trillion yuan, an increase of 29.2%, accounting for 75.6% of my total import and export value with other APEC economies. China Customs has vigorously promoted mutual recognition of “certified operators” with other APEC economies, that is, AEO mutual recognition. The number of economies that have achieved mutual recognition has reached 10. In the first three quarters, our AEO companies' imports and exports to other APEC economies increased by 28.8%, accounting for 44.5% of our total import and export value with other APEC economies.
Innovation creates new trade growth points. In the electronics, automobile, machinery and other industries, I have gradually formed an innovation chain with complementary advantages and close cooperation with other APEC economies, driving the import and export of high-tech products in both directions. In the first three quarters, my imports and exports of high-tech products to other APEC economies increased by 50.3%, reaching 6.66 trillion yuan. This has already surpassed the whole of last year, contributing nearly half of the increase in trade between me and other APEC economies. In particular, the integrated development of advanced manufacturing has promoted the rapid expansion of trade in some high-end and green products. In the first three quarters, my imports of electronic components from other APEC economies increased by 56%, and exports of the “new three” products increased by 37.1%.
Cooperation injects new impetus into trade growth. Since this year, China has hosted hundreds of conferences and events to promote deepening and practical cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. China Customs also uses the “Smart Customs” partnership program as the main line to forge consensus within the APEC Customs family through technological empowerment and institutional innovation to jointly maintain trade safety and convenience. For example, we have strengthened cooperation with other APEC economies on food import and export standards, inspection and quarantine, etc., and introduced facilitation measures such as automatic renewal and list registration for overseas enterprises. In the first three quarters, I exported nearly 800 billion yuan of food to other APEC economies, accounting for more than half of the country's total import and export value of food imports and exports.
In the next step, China Customs will continue to build on its responsibilities to help promote APEC's “China Year” to bear fruit and make new contributions to the steady growth of Asia-Pacific and world trade. Thank you.
First Financial Correspondent:
Thank you. I just explained that in the first three quarters of this year, China's imports grew faster than exports, so what are the main characteristics of China's import trade this year? What are the main reasons supporting import growth? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
Thank you. In the first three quarters of this year, China's imports increased by 22.3%. Among them, since March, the import growth rate has exceeded 20% for 7 consecutive months, and the import scale surpassed 2 trillion yuan for the first time in September. Compared with exports, imports are growing faster. In the first three quarters, the import growth rate was 5.9 percentage points higher than exports. According to statistics from a single country and region, imports grew faster than exports to more than 110 countries and regions, promoting balanced trade development. At the same time, the number of imported entities increased. In the first three quarters, the number of enterprises with import records reached 289,000, an increase of 12,000 over the same period last year. Among them, there were more than 11,000 enterprises with an import value exceeding 100 million yuan, an increase of nearly 700.
Imports grew rapidly in the first three quarters, mainly due to the steady operation of China's economy and the continued release of large-scale market effects. The advanced manufacturing industry continues to grow, and demand for various intermediates such as key components is strong. In the first three quarters, China's imported storage components increased 1.5 times, integrated circuits increased 56.6%, and aircraft components increased 17.6%. Improved production activities also provided stable support for upstream raw material imports. In the first three quarters, China imported more than 1.2 billion tons of iron, aluminum, nickel and other metal ores, and more than 400 million tons of oil and gas. At the same time, as China's consumer demand shifts from “whether it's good” to “good or not,” import demand for “good things” from various countries continues to expand. In the first three quarters, China's imports of fresh Malaysian durians increased 3.3 times, Faroese salmon increased by 41.4%, Italian olive oil increased by 28.6%, and French perfume increased by 28.5%.
The continuous expansion of the scale of imports is not only an objective reflection of domestic production and consumption demand, but also fully demonstrates the actual results of China's orderly expansion of independent opening-up and unilateral opening-up. China is not only a “world factory,” but also a “world market,” an open and shared market. On May 1 of this year, after China fully implemented zero tariffs with 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations, the number of countries that have implemented zero tariffs has reached 63. In the first three quarters, China imported 867.53 billion yuan from these countries, an increase of 15.3%. We are continuously expanding our market access. Since this year, we have added hundreds of new agricultural products such as Burmese bananas, Pakistani corn, and Belgian apples. We have successfully held 8 import fairs, attracting 27,000 exhibitors from more than 180 countries and regions, with an intended turnover of over 580 billion US dollars, providing a high-quality platform for global “good goods” to better connect with the Chinese market.
Next month, the 9th CIIE will be held in Shanghai. A large number of “black technology” and hard technology products will be showcased at the exhibition. Customs introduced 18 facilitation measures to support this year's fair, covering a full chain of service measures from import of exhibits to customs clearance supervision to post-exhibition disposal, and added the addition of allowing bonded goods in bonded warehouses to participate in the exhibition after submitting guarantees to help more high-quality products enter the Chinese market through practical actions.
Thank you.
Xinhua News Agency Finance Reporter:
Currently, the global AI investment boom continues, and demand for computing power and power equipment is rising. Could you please tell us about the export situation of related products in China in the first three quarters? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
Thank you for your question. As you said, artificial intelligence is booming, driving the acceleration of global computing power investment and construction, and demand for computing power terminals and intermediate products required for manufacturing continues to expand. At the same time, with the operation of large-scale computing power facilities, global demand for power equipment is also increasing at the same time. China relies on a complete industrial system and scientific and technological innovation capabilities to provide solid support for coping with the growth in global computing power and electricity demand.
In terms of computing power, in the first three quarters, China's exports of integrated circuits increased by 99.1%, computer accessories increased 2.1 times, and storage components such as solid-state drives increased 1.3 times, ensuring the stable supply of intermediate products in the global computing power industry chain; exports of data processing equipment such as servers increased by 7.2%, helping to build global computing power infrastructure. Furthermore, China's terminal products such as AI glasses and intelligent bionic robots continue to enter the international market, continuously enriching global artificial intelligence application scenarios.
In terms of electricity, product exports gained more strength in the first three quarters. Looking at the three fields of “manufacturing, transmission, and storage”: in the energy generation sector, exports of photovoltaic products increased by 10.3% and wind turbines and their parts grew by 22.4%, continuing to fill the global clean energy supply gap; in the energy transmission sector, exports of wires and cables increased by 28.1% and transformers grew by 22.5%; in the energy storage sector, exports of various types of batteries increased by 34.8% and were exported to more than 200 countries and regions around the world.
From a high-speed optical communication module the size of a nail cover to a tonning-heavy AI computing power server cabinet, from a household wire to an UHV converter transformer used for long-distance high-capacity power transmission, from portable power banks to large-scale industrial and commercial energy storage equipment, from single small batteries to containerized integrated energy storage systems, tens of millions of Chinese companies are providing practical, mature and reliable Chinese products, Chinese experience, and Chinese solutions for global computing power construction, stable operation of power grids, and safe power supply.
Thank you.
Hong Kong Bauhinia magazine reporter:
In May of this year, the General Administration of Customs issued 20 measures to support the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. What results have been achieved since the policy was issued? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
Thank you. I'll ask Comrade Lu Daliang to answer this question.
Lu Daliang:
Thank you for your question. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is one of China's most open and economically dynamic regions. In the first three quarters of this year, imports and exports from nine mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area reached 8.42 trillion yuan, an increase of 24.7% over the previous year, accounting for 21.1% of the country's total import and export value, an increase of 1 percentage point over the same period last year. Among them, imports and exports amounted to 3.13 trillion yuan in the third quarter, reaching the 3 trillion yuan level for the first time, with a year-on-year growth rate of more than 30%.
In May of this year, the Customs Service introduced “Certain Measures to Support the Construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”, focusing on promoting integrated development, the construction of a highland of science and innovation, and the development of new business formats and models. Over the past five months, various initiatives have been implemented one after another, and phased results have been achieved.
In terms of strengthening the interface between rules and mechanisms. Promote the “batch inspection” reform for agricultural and food exports, and coordinate the Hong Kong and Macau supervisory authorities to approve “cloud issuance” inspection and quarantine certificates to help the Greater Bay Area's “vegetable basket” safe and stable supply. In the first three quarters, nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area exported more than 20 billion yuan of agricultural products to Hong Kong and Macau. The “Exclusive Express Line for Fresh Air and Land Products” model has been optimized to facilitate the entry of fresh agricultural products into the mainland market by Hong Kong International Airport and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. In the first three quarters, the total number of dried fresh melons, fruits and edible aquatic products imported through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge increased fivefold.
In terms of supporting scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation. Using “what customs can do” to serve “the needs of science and innovation”, the innovative control and inspection model allows vacuum-packed and other goods that are unsuitable for unpacking at ports to be transferred to eligible sites for inspection, reducing the risk of damage. Currently, it has benefited more than 14 billion yuan of high-tech goods. Together with relevant departments, a joint supervision mechanism for entry/exit biomedical special items was established in Shenzhen. The supervision was changed from “tandem” supervision to faster “parallel” supervision. Currently, 31 enterprises and scientific research institutions have been included in the pilot project. In the first three quarters, imports and exports of high-tech products from nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area increased by 41.4%, accounting for 25.3% of the country's similar products.
In terms of promoting the development of new business formats and models. Based on the core advantages of “Bond+”, we will vigorously expand the application scenarios of bonded functions in the Greater Bay Area. Enterprises within the comprehensive insurance zone imported major technical equipment such as aircraft that require bonded financial leasing but are unable to actually enter the zone were subject to customs entrustment supervision, which solved the problem of being able to enjoy benefits without entering the zone. In the first three quarters, 67 aircraft were imported under this model. It supports bonded maintenance services such as automobile transmissions, computing power servers and accessories in the comprehensive insurance zone. In the first three quarters, the value of bonded maintenance goods imported and exported from nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area was 45.33 billion yuan, an increase of 24.9%.
In the next step, Customs will continue to keep abreast of the construction needs of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, push for the “Certain Measures” to produce more results, and help build a dynamic and internationally competitive first-class Bay Area and world-class urban agglomeration. Thank you.
Daily Economic News Reporter:
Last month, the 26th Investment Fair was successfully held, attracting official government agencies and commercial enterprise groups from all over the world to attend the conference. Foreign-funded enterprises continue to be optimistic about the Chinese market and actively seize development opportunities. Please tell me about the import and export situation of foreign-funded enterprises in the first three quarters of this year? What are the key areas of growth? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
Thank you. Foreign-funded enterprises are an important force in China's foreign trade, as well as participants and beneficiaries of “China Opportunity 2.0.” In the first three quarters of this year, China's foreign-funded enterprises imported and exported 11.69 trillion yuan, an increase of 19% over the previous year. The scale reached a record high for the same period. The vast majority of foreign-funded enterprises actively seize the development opportunities of China's industrial upgrading and new productivity, deeply integrate into China's industrial chain and innovation chain, and continue to cultivate and strengthen China. It can be summed up with three “shares”:
The first is to share market dividends, continuously expand the market and increase efficiency. China has a population of more than 1.4 billion and a middle income group of more than 400 million. It has been the second largest importer in the world for 17 consecutive years. The hyperscale market provides foreign-funded enterprises with broad development space and long-term stable growth expectations. In the first three quarters of this year, imports from foreign-invested enterprises increased by 21.1%. Among them, imports of consumer goods accounted for 34.5% of China's total import value of consumer goods, while watches and clothing accounted for 83.4% and 62.3% of China's total imports of similar products, respectively.
The second is to share development dividends to continuously stabilize the chain and promote growth. Through industrial development, China has played a “stable anchor” and an important hub for global industrial cooperation, providing a high-quality platform and channel for foreign-funded enterprises to deeply embed themselves in the global industrial chain. In the first three quarters, foreign-funded enterprises imported and exported 7.9 trillion yuan of intermediate goods, an increase of 27.4%. Key components in the advanced manufacturing industry, such as electronic components, computer parts, and aircraft parts, were booming. More and more foreign-funded enterprises have achieved their own development and growth while continuing to deeply cultivate the Chinese market. In the first three quarters, the number of foreign-funded enterprises with an import and export volume exceeding 10 billion dollars reached more than 150, an increase of 20 over the same period last year.
The third is to share the dividends of innovation and continuously improve the structure and energy level. China's reserves of high-quality talents, a good innovation atmosphere and rich application scenarios help enterprises carry out technology research and product implementation, and promote foreign-funded enterprises in China to accelerate product iteration and upgrading. In the first three quarters, exports of foreign-funded enterprises increased by 17.2%. Among them, exports of high-tech products increased by 42.1%, which was significantly higher than the overall export growth rate of foreign-funded enterprises, and their share of total export value increased 5.6 percentage points over the same period last year; exports of products such as electric vehicles, 3D printers, biomedicine, and medical devices all showed a booming development trend.
Currently, restrictions on foreign investment entry in the manufacturing sector have been completely eliminated, and national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises continues to be implemented. I believe that more foreign-funded enterprises will firmly cultivate China, achieve and grow together with Chinese enterprises, and share “China Opportunity 2.0.” Thank you.
Nanfang Daily Nanfang+ Reporter:
Cross-border e-commerce involves ordinary people's “buy buy buy” and merchants “sell and sell”. It has been included in government work reports for many years in a row. How was China's cross-border e-commerce import and export performance in the first three quarters of this year? What innovative initiatives does the Customs have in supporting the development of cross-border e-commerce? What are our next steps to optimize regulatory services? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
Thank you. I also asked Comrade Lu Daliang to answer this question.
Lu Daliang:
Thank you for your question. China's cross-border e-commerce statistics survey is conducted every six months to calculate the cross-border e-commerce import and export situation for the first half of the year and the whole year of the previous year separately. The cross-border e-commerce statistics survey for the first half of this year has been completed, and the official data has been published on the General Administration of Customs portal. Regarding the cross-border e-commerce import and export situation in the first three quarters of this year, we are providing a preliminary set of estimated data here.
According to preliminary customs estimates, in the first three quarters, China's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports were about 2.18 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.4%, of which exports were about 1.75 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.6%, and imports were about 434.05 billion yuan, an increase of 3.3%.
According to the cross-border e-commerce statistics survey in the first half of the year, the main export products of China's cross-border e-commerce are clothing, shoes, jewelry, home textiles, kitchen and bathroom utensils, etc. The main imported products are pharmaceuticals and health products, medical equipment, beauty and toiletries, clothing, shoes, and jewelry. The main export goods come from Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangsu, and the import destinations are concentrated in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Shandong.
Cross-border e-commerce has adapted to the trend of digital development, fits diverse and personalized consumption scenarios, and has shown strong resilience and vitality. China Customs has been actively studying support measures to promote the development of cross-border e-commerce. Recently, we have fully replicated and promoted the “inspection first, then shipment” supervision model to further improve customs clearance efficiency for export consolidated goods and reduce export costs for enterprises; further expand the cross-border e-commerce customs clearance logistics model to support enterprises to carry out cross-border e-commerce export business through international road transport, railway international intermodal transport, etc.
In the next step, the customs will continue to focus on improving the quality of supervision and customs clearance facilitation, and making efforts to improve the effectiveness of supervision, strengthen scientific and technological empowerment, and deepen collaborative governance to promote the high-quality development of cross-border e-commerce. Thank you.
New Yellow River Client Reporter:
We know that private enterprises continue to maintain their position as the largest foreign trade entity in our country. What are the highlights and changes in the import and export of private enterprises in the first three quarters of this year? In the next step, what facilitation measures will customs launch to escort private enterprises overseas? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
Thank you. The private economy is a vital force for advancing Chinese-style modernization and an important foundation for high-quality development. In the field of foreign trade, the role played by private enterprises in stabilizing China's foreign trade is also continuously increasing. In the first three quarters, private enterprises imported and exported 22.73 trillion yuan, an increase of 19.1% over the previous year. There were many highlights in the high-quality development of foreign trade, mainly in the following aspects:
First, the growth in volume is accelerating. Since this year, the import and export growth rate of private enterprises has increased quarterly. The growth rate increased by 16.5% in the first quarter, 17.3% in the second quarter, and further increased to 23% in the third quarter. In the first three quarters, the import and export volume of private enterprises broke the 20 trillion yuan mark for the first time in the same period, accounting for 56.9% of China's foreign trade, an increase of 0.1 percentage points over the same period last year, and the dominant position in foreign trade continued to be consolidated.
Second, industrial development is bursting with innovation. Private enterprises are keeping up with cutting-edge global trends, and the foreign trade industry structure is rapidly rising to a “new track,” “high track,” and “smart track.” In the first three quarters, the share of high-tech products in the imports and exports of private enterprises increased by 2.6 percentage points. Imports of electronic components and computer parts increased by 51.2% and 136.1% respectively, exports of “new three” products increased by 43.6%, and exports of industrial robots and CNC machine tools accounted for more than 70% of the country's similar products.
Third, demand response improves accuracy. Accurate insight into market demand is one of the winning strategies for private enterprises to explore the market. For example, in recent years, the global boom in exquisite camping and outdoor vacations has continued to heat up. Private enterprises in China have developed new prefabricated tent houses, which are packaged and exported in batches with modular components. After arrival, they can be simply assembled and put into use. The products are novel in design and excellent in quality, and are popular overseas. In the first three quarters, exports of various types of mobile homes by private enterprises increased by nearly 30%.
Fourth, brand building shapes influence. In the first three quarters, the export value of private companies' own-brand products increased by 29.6%, accounting for 70.7% of the country's own-brand product exports. From light consumer goods to high-end equipment, from smart homes to new energy devices, more and more private enterprise independent brands are appearing in the international market, demonstrating the technical strength and product quality of Made in China, and continuing to polish the Made in China brands.
Fifth, the business format empowers the expansion of new markets. Relying on the convenient advantages of new business formats such as market procurement, many private entities collaborate efficiently to continuously explore unique creative products and seize opportunities in overseas consumer markets. At the beginning of the year, due to workers slitting the corners of the Chinese zodiac figurines, the “crying horse” unexpectedly became a hit and was exported overseas; now, Christmas is coming soon, and Yiwu, Zhejiang is also introducing Christmas-themed lights such as dynamic butterfly pendants to light up the European and American holiday markets. In the first three quarters, the private enterprise market purchased and exported nearly 700 billion yuan, of which exports of toys, home appliances, lamps, etc. all achieved relatively rapid growth.
The increase in the import and export volume and quality of China's private enterprises is inseparable from policy maintenance. Customs will also continue to implement various policies and measures to stabilize foreign trade, adhere to enterprise demands, continue to deepen reforms, vigorously promote the facilitation of cross-border trade, create a first-class port business environment, strengthen corporate credit cultivation, and accurately help all types of business entities stabilize the market and stabilize orders. Thank you.
Zhou Jianshe:
Please keep asking, there are two more people.
Red Star News Reporter:
I mentioned earlier that trade between China and ASEAN countries continues to show a relatively rapid growth trend. Can you introduce the bilateral trade situation and customs service initiatives? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
Thank you. I ask Comrade Lu Daliang to answer this question.
Lu Daliang:
Thank you for your question. ASEAN is China's largest trading partner. In the first three quarters of this year, China's imports and exports to ASEAN reached 6.84 trillion yuan, an increase of 22.7%, accounting for 17.1% of China's total import and export value, an increase of 0.5 percentage points over the same period last year. Among them, exports and imports increased by 23.4% and 21.4% respectively. On a quarterly basis, imports and exports to ASEAN reached 2.5 trillion yuan in the third quarter, an increase of 31.4%.
Over the years, China and ASEAN have been moving forward hand in hand, and have become the most successful and dynamic example of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Focusing on promoting the development of trade with ASEAN, China Customs actively optimizes supervision services and continues to step forward to help upgrade the quality of economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN. Here I will share with you two recent key tasks.
The first is to fully serve the smooth holding of the 23rd East China Expo. As a practical platform for promoting regional economic integration, the China-ASEAN Expo is a “golden business card” for cooperation between the two sides. This year's East China Expo brought together companies from 73 countries and regions to participate in the exhibition, and a number of international cooperation and industrial investment projects were signed centrally. Customs formulated a customs clearance plan in advance, set up dedicated channels for exhibits and personnel, and implemented 24-hour customs clearance and “port+on-site” rapid inspection and release. A total of 213 overseas exhibitors were supervised, and 3 types of exhibits, including handicrafts, were sold duty-free for the first time.
Second, make every effort to ensure the smooth navigation of the Pinglu Canal. The Pinglu Canal has shortened the transportation distance between China's southwest hinterland and ASEAN by more than 560 kilometers. The canal's navigation has greatly raised the level of regional connectivity and made the economic and trade ties between China and ASEAN closer. On the first day of navigation, 7 categories of export goods from Sichuan, Chongqing, Gui and other places were successfully cleared through customs. For various logistics scenarios after the canal is navigated, the customs has provided 5 customs clearance models, such as “direct access from river to sea” and “water to water to multimodal transport”. Foreign trade enterprises can choose the most suitable plan according to the transportation route to reduce logistics costs.
At the same time, we continue to push for the implementation of the matters decided at the 24th China-ASEAN Customs Directors' Consultation Meeting this year. Last month, the mutual recognition of “certified operators” between China and Cambodia was officially implemented; certificates of origin for goods exported from China to Myanmar and Cambodia were self-printed. On the day of implementation of the policy, some enterprises completed self-printing of certificates in just a few minutes without leaving their homes, which really enhanced the companies' sense of acquisition. China Customs will continue to improve the effectiveness of supervision and service levels to help the economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN reach a higher level. Thank you.
Zhou Jianshe:
One last question.
Nine News Reporters:
This year's government work report clearly proposes to further advance the “Smart Customs” partnership program. How has the plan progressed since this year? In the next step, what other relevant arrangements will customs make? Thank you.
Wang Jun:
Thank you for your attention to this issue. The “Smart Customs” partnership program is an international cooperation plan for China Customs to implement President Xi Jinping's important concept of “smart customs, smart borders, and smart connectivity”, establish smart customs partnerships with other countries' (regional) customs, relevant departments, and international organizations, and promote collaborative governance among all parties through technology-driven and institutional innovation. Over the past 3 years since the implementation of the plan, positive results have been achieved in terms of both construction and cooperation:
The first is to make every effort to promote the construction of smart customs and establish a solid foundation for cooperation. Currently, the smart customs 1.0 assembly is basically integrated, and a new form of Chinese customs supervision service with networked interconnection, digital sensing, intelligent analysis, and automated operations has already taken shape.
The second is to make every effort to build “one platform” and “one center” to create a vehicle for cooperation. In December 2024, the Global Smart Customs Online Cooperation Platform was launched. Currently, the number of registered countries (regions) has reached 154; in July 2025, the BRICS Customs Demonstration Center was launched in Xiamen. As of this month, it has hosted more than 40 international exchange events, received more than 400 representatives from customs and related international organizations from various countries and regions, and shared China's experience in a way that the customs family is willing to listen, easily accept and agree with.
In order to promote the in-depth implementation of the partnership program, in the next step, we will actively build a closer smart customs partnership through the “Five Ones” on the basis of “One Platform” and “One Center”. The first is to upgrade “One Platform”. Deepen WCO cooperation with the World Customs Organization, expand the functions of the global smart customs online cooperation platform, contribute more successful cases of China Customs, and support WCO to provide replicable and marketable solutions for customs in southern countries around the world. The second is to optimize “one center”. Focus on showcasing smart customs technology and innovation achievements, enrich the BRICS smart customs demonstration center network, improve the layout of smart customs construction and cooperation demonstration sites, promote the transformation of cooperative consensus into implementable projects, and contribute China's experience and solutions to the modernization of international customs. The third is to expand the “one mechanism”. Relying on cooperation mechanisms such as customs inspection and quarantine, we will further strengthen partnerships to promote “hard connectivity” of infrastructure, “soft connectivity” of rules and standards, and “heart connectivity” of partners. The fourth is to build a “one network.” Deepen information exchange, mutual recognition of supervision, mutual assistance in law enforcement, and build a global trade security and facilitation network that guarantees trade security and promotes smooth logistics. The fifth is to build “one brand”. Actively participate in the revision of international rules and standards, build a cooperative brand that uses technology and innovation to modernize customs, tell the Chinese story well with customs stories, and expand the “circle of friends” of international cooperation. Thank you.
Zhou Jianshe:
That's all for today's press conference. Thank you to the two publishers, thank you to all the reporters and friends, see you all.
This article was edited by China.com, Zhitong Finance Editor: Chen Wenfang