BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade sustained steady growth momentum in July, buoyed by robust exports of innovative and high-tech products, data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed on Friday.
The total value of goods imports and exports expanded 19.2 percent year on year to reach 4.66 trillion yuan (about 686.26 billion U.S. dollars) last month, remaining above 4 trillion yuan for five consecutive months, the data showed. Exports rose 17.8 percent from the same period last year, while imports increased 21.2 percent.
In the first seven months of the year, total foreign trade in goods amounted to 30.13 trillion yuan, up 17.3 percent year on year.
Exports of high-tech products like industrial robots and 3D printers surged by over 50 percent year-on-year in July, outpacing the 39 percent growth seen in the first half of the year and making up nearly 60 percent of that month's total export increase.
"China's economy has been forging ahead against headwinds, moving toward higher quality and better structure, which has provided strong support for foreign trade growth," said Lyu Daliang, director of GAC's Department of Statistics and Analysis.
In the first seven months of the year, China's trade with more than 180 countries and regions maintained growth. Trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union, Latin America, and Africa grew by 20 percent, 9.5 percent, 15.4 percent, and 18.9 percent, respectively.
Trade with Belt and Road partner countries increased 15.5 percent, while trade with other APEC economies rose 21 percent. Trade with the United States edged down 1.6 percent, though the decline narrowed by 2 percentage points compared with the first six months.
By enterprise type, the private sector remained the driving force, with imports and exports reaching 17.16 trillion yuan, up 17.2 percent, accounting for 56.9 percent of the national total. Foreign-invested enterprises saw their trade rise 17.6 percent, while state-owned enterprises posted a 17.3 percent increase.
A more balanced trade structure is taking shape, with import growth outpacing exports by 8 percentage points in the first seven months. Imports of bulk commodities rose 3 percent in volume, while those of mechanical and electrical products jumped 29.7 percent to 5.31 trillion yuan, representing 41.9 percent of total imports.
Beyond these headline figures, innovation is playing an increasingly central role as the primary engine powering China's foreign trade. Thanks to the country's fast-expanding innovation drive, China's export mix has evolved from the old "trio" of apparel, furniture and home appliances, to the recent trio of electric vehicles, lithium batteries and solar panels, to the latest trio of robotics, AI-related products and innovative drugs. This trend highlights a shift from labor-intensive manufacturing to innovation-led growth that is reshaping the country's trade landscape.
Latest data showed that in the first seven months, exports of mechanical and electrical products reached 11.12 trillion yuan, surging 21.2 percent, accounting for 63.8 percent of China's total exports. Among these, green and low-carbon products saw particularly strong performance, with exports of electric vehicles and lithium batteries rising 71.2 percent and 35.8 percent, respectively. Exports of 3D printers, industrial robots, and ships jumped 1.1 times, 13.2 percent, and 32.7 percent, respectively.
Sustained innovation remains the key to maintaining global competitiveness for Chinese products of all kinds. Tao Yang, a vendor in Yiwu, known as the "world's supermarket" in east China's Zhejiang Province, was delighted to spot her own products on television during the recent FIFA World Cup. "This hat features our original design," she said.
Tao noted that her product categories have been continuously expanding in response to customer demands. "Our core strength lies in turning our clients' wildest ideas into reality," she explained. "This ability to execute flexible, customized orders is what surprises our customers most, and it gives us a decisive competitive edge." Enditem
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