GUANGZHOU, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- The southern Chinese province of Guangdong, a manufacturing hub and trade powerhouse, saw its quarterly foreign trade exceed 3 trillion yuan (about 446 billion U.S. dollars) for the first time in the third quarter of 2026, underscoring the resilience of China's foreign trade amid global headwinds.
In the third quarter, Guangdong's trade value hit a record high of 3.23 trillion yuan, accelerating to 31.3 percent year-on-year growth from 19.3 percent in the first quarter and 22 percent in the second, marking a steady quarterly pickup, according to the data released on Monday by the Guangdong Sub-administration of the General Administration of Customs (GAC).
It also marked the 13th consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth in the province.
Foreign trade in September reached 1.18 trillion yuan, soaring 45.7 percent and marking the largest single-month increase in five years. Monthly trade, meanwhile, has remained above the 1-trillion-yuan mark for four straight months since June.
In the first nine months of this year, Guangdong's imports and exports rose 24.5 percent year on year to 8.72 trillion yuan.
The province's trade diversification deepened, with imports and exports expanding to more than 160 countries and regions. Trade with Belt and Road partners reached 3.2 trillion yuan, up 18.2 percent, while trade with other APEC economies climbed 26.4 percent to 5.74 trillion yuan.
Trade composition improved as imports outpaced exports in growth by 28.3 percentage points, pointing to a more balanced trade structure. High-tech exports emerged as a key growth engine in the province, with advanced manufacturing products totaling 1.1 trillion yuan in outbound shipments, surging 33 percent. Exports of specialized equipment, integrated circuits, computer parts, lithium batteries and electric vehicles all posted strong gains. Imports of integrated circuits and computer components also surged.
An official with the GAC Guangdong Sub-administration said that the scale, structure and quality of Guangdong's foreign trade have all improved this year, reflecting sound development momentum.
The 140th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, is currently underway in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong, and has drawn exhibitors and buyers from around the world. The event is expected to inject fresh impetus into Guangdong's trade innovation and sustain the province's strong outbound momentum into the fourth quarter, the official added.
The data came as China's foreign trade maintained solid momentum in the first three quarters of 2026. The country's total imports and exports rose 18.8 percent year on year to 39.94 trillion yuan in the January-September period, the GAC noted. ■
