High-Tech and Green Goods Drive China's 16.9% H1 Foreign Trade Growth

China's total foreign trade reached 25.47 trillion yuan in the first half of the year, marking a 16.9% year-on-year increase according to official figures reported by People's Daily. Thirteen provinces outperformed the national growth average, led by Shaanxi's 93.7% surge. Export performance was bolstered by high-tech and green products, including integrated circuits, electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and industrial robotics, particularly in major coastal manufacturing hubs such as Guangdong and Shanghai.

China's foreign trade growth underscores a structural transition toward higher-value manufacturing and green technology, providing key momentum for its economic recovery despite growing external headwinds and global trade barriers.

China's total foreign trade in goods grew 16.9% year-on-year in the first half of the year, reaching 25.47 trillion yuan, according to official customs data cited by People's Daily. All 31 provincial-level administrative regions have released their first-half economic trade data, with 13 provinces exceeding the national growth rate. Shaanxi registered the fastest growth at 93.7% year-on-year, followed by nine other regions—including Hainan, Anhui, Hebei, Chongqing, Inner Mongolia, Henan, Ningxia, Jilin, and Jiangsu—that recorded growth rates above 20%. Six provinces and municipalities recorded foreign trade totals exceeding 1 trillion yuan: Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Shandong, and Beijing. Guangdong led all regions with 5.49 trillion yuan in trade, up 20.8% year-on-year and surpassing 5 trillion yuan for the first time during a first-half period. Guangdong alone accounted for 21.6% of national trade and contributed 25.6% of total trade growth. A key factor driving this expansion is the structural shift toward high-tech and green manufacturing exports. In Guangdong, exports of integrated circuits rose 61.4% to 266.7 billion yuan, while exports of drones, high-end machine tools, and industrial robots grew 24.6%, 20.1%, and 16.8%, respectively. Green product exports from the province also expanded sharply, with lithium batteries up 42.7% and electric vehicles up 35.3%. Similarly, Shanghai saw strong growth in exports tied to artificial intelligence and robotics. Shipments of AI computing hardware—such as servers, optical transceivers, integrated circuits, and industrial transformers—grew rapidly, while total exports across three main robotics segments (industrial, bionic, and surgical) grew 1.2 times year-on-year, with surgical robotics increasing 2.4 times. Experts cited by People's Daily attributed the resilient performance to trade partner diversification and the expanding role of private enterprises, alongside the integration of technological innovation into industrial manufacturing. However, analysts warned that second-half trade faces risks from persistent global inflation, multiplying foreign trade barriers, and international supply chain disruptions. In response, local governments have begun deploying targeted support measures, such as Beijing's July policy to support digital economy firms expanding overseas.