In the first quarter, private enterprises became the main force in foreign trade, and Chinese daily necessities sold well worldwide

Beijing, April 14 (Xinhua) -- According to data released by the General Administration of Customs on the 14th, the total value of China's goods trade imports and exports in the first quarter of 2026 was 11.84 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15%. While the quarterly scale exceeded 11 trillion yuan for the first time, the quarterly growth rate reached the highest level in nearly five years. Among them, the proportion of private enterprises in China's total import and export value has further increased to 57.3%.

Private enterprises firmly establish themselves as the main force in foreign trade

According to data from the General Administration of Customs, in the first quarter, the import and export of private enterprises in China reached 6.78 trillion yuan, an increase of 16.2%. Among them, exports and imports increased by 12.7% and 23.5% respectively, with growth rates higher than the national average. The position of China as the largest foreign trade entity has been further consolidated.

Wang Jun, Deputy Director General of the General Administration of Customs, stated at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on the 14th that since the beginning of this year, the import and export of private enterprises have shown three characteristics:

Leading the way in expanding the market. Private enterprises, with their flexible mechanisms, keen market awareness, and innovative spirit, are constantly expanding into emerging markets while consolidating traditional markets. In the first quarter, private enterprises' imports and exports to traditional markets increased by 12.3%, while imports and exports to ASEAN, Africa, and Central Asia increased by 17.8%, 30.2%, and 31.2%, respectively.

The export and import of high-tech products are advancing simultaneously. Private enterprises are developing towards the mid to high end of processing and manufacturing, and the export of high-tech and high value-added products is growing rapidly. In the first quarter, private enterprises' exports of ships and marine equipment, aerospace equipment, and medical instruments increased by 41.3%, 25.6%, and 19.1% respectively. At the same time, private enterprises are precisely aligning with industrial development and expanding the import of advanced technology equipment and key components. In the first quarter, the import of petrochemical machinery, heavy machinery, and electronic information products by private enterprises increased by 25.8%, 126.7%, and 46.6% respectively.

In response to market demand, private enterprises have strong adaptability, can accurately perceive and quickly respond to market demand, develop marketable products, and promote the upgrading and renewal of competitiveness. Wang Jun gave an example that electric motorcycles exported to South America have strong power and long-lasting range, and can adapt to the complex road conditions of local hills and mountains; The onshore intelligent wind turbines exported to the Caucasus region are customized and optimized for the local high-speed wind environment, meeting the requirements of the project in terms of environmental adaptability, power generation performance, and other aspects. In the first quarter, the export of green and low-carbon products such as electric motorcycles and bicycles, wind turbines and their parts by private enterprises increased by 30% and 53.1% respectively.

Chinese daily necessities are selling well worldwide

Becoming Chinese "has been a hot topic on overseas social media recently, with many foreign netizens expressing their strong interest and love for Chinese culture through experiencing Chinese lifestyles such as drinking hot tea, wearing cotton slippers, and practicing eight dan brocade.

This cultural craze has also been transmitted to the consumer demand for Chinese products. Data shows that popular items such as thermos cups and tea were exported for 5 billion yuan and 2.7 billion yuan respectively in the first quarter, while related electric kettles and goji berries were also exported for about 200 million yuan, both achieving year-on-year growth. These daily necessities full of Chinese fireworks have been exported to more than 200 countries and regions around the world, becoming a vivid epitome of high-quality and practical 'Chinese goods' and Chinese culture going global, "Wang Jun said at the press conference.

At the same time as becoming Chinese online, many foreign people have also started traveling to China offline to gain a more intuitive and in-depth understanding and experience of China.

Foreign friends come to China to immerse themselves in Chinese lifestyle such as high-speed rail travel, wearing Hanfu, and eating hotpot. Their shopping list has also expanded from daily necessities to cultural and creative products and trendy toys. The booming Chinese tourism has driven a rapid burst of vitality in the inbound consumer market. In the first quarter, the national customs handled over 230000 outbound tax refund verification transactions, a year-on-year increase of more than five times.