Yangtze River Delta’s Q1 Foreign Trade Hits Record High of 4.49 Trillion Yuan

BEIJING, April 17 — The Yangtze River Delta region registered a historic high in foreign trade for the first quarter of 2026, with total imports and exports reaching 4.49 trillion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 15.8 percent. People’s Daily reports that the region’s share of China’s total foreign trade rose to 37.9 percent, underscoring its pivotal role in driving national foreign trade growth.

Major trading provinces in the region delivered strong performance. Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai posted year-on-year growth of 17.2 percent, 7.1 percent and 21.9 percent respectively. Anhui stood out with an impressive growth rate of 31.6 percent, leading the regional expansion.

The region’s foreign trade network has grown increasingly diversified. Xinhua News Agency notes that trade with ASEAN and the European Union expanded by 20.8 percent and 17.5 percent year on year. Trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative totalled 2.26 trillion yuan, up 17.3 percent compared with the same period last year.

Structural optimisation continued to gather pace. Exports of mechanical and electrical products from the Yangtze River Delta reached 1.78 trillion yuan in the first quarter, a year-on-year rise of 19.7 percent. High-end equipment, new energy products and smart manufacturing goods have become key growth drivers, reflecting steady progress in industrial upgrading and high-quality development.

Supported by improved port logistics, streamlined customs clearance and cross-regional industrial collaboration, the region has maintained robust momentum in foreign trade. The solid performance in the first quarter lays a firm foundation for the steady growth of the country’s foreign trade throughout the year.