Statistics released on August 18 show that combined import and export volume of the Yangtze River Delta in the first seven months reached 11.41 trillion yuan, rising 18.9 percent year‑on‑year and accounting for 37.9 percent of China’s total foreign trade. The region has maintained positive year‑on‑year trade growth for 17 consecutive months, hitting a record high for the January‑July period. Shanghai’s total foreign‑trade volume exceeded 3 trillion yuan for the first time over seven months, while Anhui province led the delta with a 35.7 percent growth rate in foreign trade.
Product structure reflects obvious optimization. The proportion of traditional labour‑intensive commodities keeps declining, whereas high‑end manufacturing products serve as the major driving force for export expansion. Exports of integrated‑circuit equipment, bionic intelligent robots, new‑energy vehicles and spare parts saw sharp increases. Anhui ranks first nationwide in both volume and value of automobile exports, and Zhejiang takes the top spot in exports of intelligent bionic robots. Orders for high‑end ship equipment also expanded rapidly.
Industry institutions believe that complete industrial‑chain supporting capacity within the Yangtze River Delta underpins its robust foreign‑trade performance. Global demand for green and intelligent manufacturing equipment keeps expanding, and local manufacturers seize overseas business opportunities by improving product added value. Nevertheless, multiple external risks remain. Repeated overseas inflation pressure, trade‑protectionist measures and volatile shipping costs will continue to create uncertainties for export enterprises.
In the next stage, the regional foreign‑trade strategy will shift from simple volume expansion toward technological upgrading and brand globalization. Local governments will continue to support research‑and‑development investment for export‑oriented manufacturers, help enterprises explore emerging markets besides traditional developed economies, and strengthen logistics and financial services for foreign‑trade players, so as to consolidate the competitive advantages of domestic high‑end manufacturing in global markets.
