On April 14, data released by the General Administration of Customs showed that China's March exports (priced in USD) increased by 2.5% year-on-year, compared to a previous increase of 39.6%; imports rose by 27.8%, up from a prior increase of 13.8%; the trade surplus was $51.13 billion, down from a previous surplus of $90.978 billion.
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China's March exports (priced in RMB) decreased by 0.7% year-on-year, compared to a prior increase of 36.1%; imports rose by 23.8%, up from a previous increase of 10.9%; the trade surplus was 354.75 billion yuan, down from 637.55 billion yuan previously.
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<h2>First Quarter Trade Import and Export Total Grows 15% Year-on-Year</h2>
Data shows that in the first quarter of 2026, China's total value of goods trade imports and exports reached 11.84 trillion yuan, the first time exceeding 11 trillion yuan in a comparable period historically, with year-on-year growth maintaining double-digit expansion at 15%.
Wang Jun, Deputy Commissioner of the General Administration of Customs, stated at a State Council Information Office press conference that by the first quarter of this year, China's total import and export value has remained above 10 trillion yuan for 12 consecutive quarters; growth rates have returned to double-digit levels since the fourth quarter of 2022.
Regarding exports, the total export value for the first quarter reached 6.85 trillion yuan, an 11.9% year-on-year increase. The export structure continues to shift towards new and high-quality products. Mechanical and electrical product exports performed exceptionally well, reaching 4.34 trillion yuan, a 18.3% increase, accounting for 63.4% of total exports.
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Among these, exports of green products such as electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and wind power generation units and their parts surged significantly by 77.5%, 50.4%, and 45.2% respectively.
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Regarding imports, the total import value for the first quarter reached 4.99 trillion yuan, a 19.6% year-on-year increase, with a growth rate 7.7 percentage points higher than exports, reaching a historical peak for the same period.
The driving effect of expanded domestic demand was evident, with energy products and metal ore sand imports increasing by 4.4% and 13.2% respectively; mechanical and electrical product imports totaled 1.97 trillion yuan, up 21.7%; consumer goods imports reached 418.92 billion yuan, up 5.4%.

The General Administration of Customs noted that imports from over 150 countries and regions grew, with 51 countries and regions recording import volumes exceeding 10 billion yuan.
<h2>Private Enterprises' Import and Export Growth Outpaces National Average</h2>
In the first quarter, private enterprises recorded a total import and export value of 6.78 trillion yuan, a 16.2% year-on-year increase, accounting for 57.3% of China's total import and export value, further consolidating their position as the country's largest foreign trade entity for multiple consecutive years. The General Administration of Customs stated at the press conference:
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Private enterprise exports grew by 12.7% in the first quarter; imports grew by 23.5%; both growth rates exceeded the national average, with over 540,000 private enterprises having import/export records.
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The General Administration of Customs indicated that private enterprises performed outstandingly in expanding into emerging markets and trading high-tech products. Exports of ships, marine engineering equipment, aerospace equipment, and other high-value-added products grew rapidly, while imports of advanced technical equipment and key components also expanded.
<h2>&#34;Belt and Road&#34; Countries See Continued Expansion in Trade</h2>
In terms of market diversification, China's trade with countries jointly building the &#34;Belt and Road&#34; reached 6.06 trillion yuan in the first quarter, a 14.2% year-on-year increase, accounting for 51.2% of the total import and export value.
Furthermore, trade with ASEAN and Latin America both grew by 15.4%, while trade with Africa grew by 23.7%, demonstrating the breadth and strong resilience of the foreign trade market.
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The General Administration of Customs stated that in the first quarter of this year, China's overall trade with developed economies such as the EU continued to grow, while growth rates with regions like ASEAN, Latin America, and Africa all exceeded double digits. A diversified market structure has solidified the foundation of foreign trade.

MCHI

ASHR

In the first quarter of 2026, China's total value of goods trade imports and exports reached 11.84 trillion yuan, marking the first time it exceeded 11 trillion yuan in a comparable period historically, with year-on-year growth maintaining double-digit expansion at 15%. By the first quarter of this year, China's total import and export value has remained above 10 trillion yuan for 12 consecutive quarters; growth rates have returned to double-digit levels since the fourth quarter of 2022

- In March 2026, China's exports in USD increased by 2.5% year-on-year, while imports rose by 27.8%, resulting in a trade surplus of $51.13 billion.  
- The first quarter saw a 15% increase in total trade value, reaching 11.84 trillion CNY, with notable growth in exports of electrical products and significant contributions from private enterprises.  
- Trade with "Belt and Road" countries also expanded, highlighting the resilience and diversification of China's foreign trade markets.

China's March Exports Up 2.5% Year-on-Year in USD Terms, Imports Surge 27.8%