China's foreign trade growth picks up pace on stellar imports, booming AI demand

This aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 18, 2026 shows a view of Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) BEIJING, Nov.

10 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade in goods maintained strong growth momentum in the first 10 months of 2026, with imports posting especially robust gains and booming artificial intelligence (AI) demand lifting exports of electronic components, official data showed Tuesday. Total imports and exports grew 20 percent year on year to 44.81 trillion yuan (about 6.67 trillion U.S. dollars) over the period, accelerating from 18.8 percent in the first nine months, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

Imports surged 23.6 percent, while exports rose 17.6 percent during the January-October period. China's foreign trade has kept up its momentum this year, showing greater resilience and vitality, said Lyu Daliang, director of the GAC's Department of Statistics and Analysis. Both imports and exports have now posted double-digit growth for six consecutive months through October, the customs data showed.