China's Jan-Aug Trade Up 17.6% to RMB34.78 Trillion

Data released by the General Administration of Customs on September 8 showed that in the first eight months of 2026, China's total goods trade reached RMB34.78 trillion, up 17.6% year-on-year, with growth accelerating by 0.3 percentage points from the first seven months. Exports totaled RMB20.17 trillion, up 14.6%, while imports reached RMB14.61 trillion, up 22%. The trade surplus for the period stood at RMB5.55 trillion.

In August alone, China's total imports and exports reached RMB4.65 trillion, up 19.8% year-on-year. Exports rose 18.6% to RMB2.73 trillion, and imports increased 21.7% to RMB1.92 trillion. Both exports and imports maintained double-digit growth for four consecutive months, with import growth outpacing exports for six straight months. The August trade surplus was RMB809.3 billion.

In dollar terms, August trade totaled $683.8 billion, up 26.3% year-on-year. Exports reached $401.44 billion, up 25%, while imports were $282.36 billion, up 28.2%, resulting in a trade surplus of $119.09 billion. Exports to the United States in August reached $42.5 billion, up 34.5% year-on-year, higher than July's $31.6 billion.

For the first eight months of 2026, dollar-denominated trade totaled $5.04 trillion, up 22.4% year-on-year. Exports were $2.92 trillion, up 19.3%, and imports were $2.12 trillion, up 27%, with a trade surplus of $805.51 billion. During the period, exports to the United States rose 6.2% year-on-year, while imports from the United States increased 3.4%. Exports to Russia grew 30.7%, and imports from Russia rose 26.5%.