China’s foreign trade maintains sound momentum as new drivers power exports

What the report says

China’s foreign trade expanded strongly in the first three quarters of 2026, according to official data cited by Xinhua and published by The Independent Uganda. The General Administration of Customs said total imports and exports rose 18.8% year on year to 39.94 trillion yuan, with the pace of growth strengthening across the year. The report said this was the fastest growth for the period in five years.

Exports and imports both increased, and September marked a milestone as monthly trade topped 5 trillion yuan for the first time. The article said exports reached 23.2 trillion yuan over the nine-month period, while imports totaled 16.74 trillion yuan. It also highlighted faster growth in goods linked to industrial upgrading, including integrated circuits, electric vehicles, lithium batteries and wind power equipment.

The report pointed to stronger demand for higher-value and technology-related products, with industrial robots, electronic components and related equipment described as important contributors to trade expansion. It also noted that foreign-invested companies remained active in China’s trade, and that commerce with partners including ASEAN, the European Union, the United States and free-trade partners continued to grow.

Beyond the figures, the article suggests China’s trade mix is shifting toward smarter and greener exports and deeper industrial supply-chain links. For readers, that matters because it reflects both the resilience of China’s external trade and the changing composition of its export economy, although the broader economic outlook was not assessed in the report.