On March 6, Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce, stated at the economic press conference during the Two Sessions that China’s foreign trade in the first two months of 2026 continued the trend of last year, but the external environment is still complex and severe, and the pressure to stabilize foreign trade is relatively large. To this end, the Ministry of Commerce will focus on the “three pillars” of building a trading power, strengthen four “coordinations”, make every effort to stabilize the basic plate of foreign trade, and cultivate new drivers of foreign trade.
Specifically, the Ministry of Commerce will coordinate stability promotion and quality improvement, focus on fields such as intermediate goods trade, industrial chain and supply chain cooperation, and fiscal and financial support, study and introduce incremental policy measures, and at the same time accelerate the development of digital trade and green trade, and promote the export of artificial intelligence products, green power equipment, etc. In terms of market layout, it will coordinate emerging and traditional markets, increase support for enterprises to participate in exhibitions overseas, run key exhibitions such as the Canton Fair well, sign more free trade agreements, and expand the free trade “circle of friends”.
In terms of balanced trade development, China will coordinate imports and exports, give play to the advantage of a super-large-scale market, expand the import of agricultural products, high-quality consumer goods, advanced technological equipment and key components, make good use of platforms such as the China International Import Expo, and promote the two-way and coordinated development of trade. In addition, it will coordinate productive services and living services, expand the export of productive services such as R&D and design, tap the potential of service exports such as culture and traditional Chinese medicine, and cultivate more growth points of foreign trade.
Data shows that China’s exports to the United States fell by 19.5% in 2025, but overall exports increased by 6.1% in RMB terms, demonstrating the effectiveness of the diversified layout of foreign trade. In 2026, with the implementation of various policies, China’s foreign trade will further enhance its resilience, achieve stable progress and quality improvement in a complex international environment, and inject Chinese momentum into the development of global trade.
