China's foreign trade continued to post solid growth in the first five months of 2026, underscoring the resilience of the world's second-largest economy amid a complex global environment.

The total goods trade reached 20.68 trillion yuan ($2.88 trillion) from January to May, up 15.3% year on year, according to official data released Tuesday. Exports rose 11.8% to 11.91 trillion yuan, while imports increased 20.5% to 8.77 trillion yuan.

Growth accelerated further in May. In US dollar terms, exports surged 19.4% year on year, up from 14.1% in April, while imports climbed 27.4%, compared with 25.3% a month earlier. The monthly trade surplus expanded to $105.43 billion from $84.82 billion in April. For the first five months, exports and imports increased by 15.5% and 24.5%, respectively, with the cumulative trade surplus reaching $451.7 billion.

Economists attribute the strong export performance to robust global demand for high-tech products and China's growing competitiveness in advanced manufacturing. A Reuters survey of 32 economists found that rising demand for semiconductors, AI servers and related electronic components has become a major driver of export growth. The World Trade Organization's latest Goods Trade Barometer also showed that trade in electronic components remains well above its long-term trend.

Meanwhile, the rapid growth in imports reflects resilient domestic demand and continued industrial upgrading. Increased imports of commodities, equipment and key components point to strong production activity and business investment.

Analysts note that China's advantages in global supply chains, expanding high-tech exports and increasingly diversified export markets have helped sustain a sizable trade surplus. At the same time, strong import growth suggests that the surplus is being driven not by weak domestic demand, but by robust growth in both exports and imports, highlighting the overall vitality of China's trade sector.

(Cover via VCG)