China's foreign trade gained momentum and became more balanced in the first three quarters of 2026, official data showed on Wednesday, as industrial upgrading met surging global demand for high value-added products and robust imports signaled wider access to the country's vast market for global businesses.

According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China's imports grew more than 20 percent year-on-year for the seventh straight month in September, helping drive monthly trade past 5 trillion yuan ($747 billion) for the first time — a sign officials and experts said shows that the nation's push for balanced trade is gaining traction, with further progress expected in the fourth quarter.

"China is not only the 'world's factory', but also the 'world's market'," said Wang Jun, vice-minister of the GAC, when releasing the data at a news conference in Beijing.

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The country's foreign trade in goods increased 18.8 percent year-on-year to reach 39.94 trillion yuan in the first nine months, with growth accelerating quarter by quarter during the period.

Imports helped drive the expansion, rising 22.3 percent year-on-year to 16.74 trillion yuan in the first nine months — ahead of the 16.4 percent growth in exports — crossing the 2-trillion-yuan monthly mark for the first time in September, according to the administration.

Lynn Song, chief economist for China at Dutch bank ING, noted that technology-related products remained central to the import surge. "Compared with early-year expectations, imports have been the biggest surprise," Song said.

Wang, the GAC vice-minister, attributed this import momentum to China's expanding advanced manufacturing sector, which has spurred strong demand for key components and other intermediate goods.

Data shows storage unit imports surged 150 percent year-on-year in the first nine months, integrated circuit imports soared 56.6 percent and imports of aircraft parts increased 17.6 percent.

Wang also noted that stronger production activity is sustaining raw material imports.

According to Ningbo Customs, Ningbo Huatai Wealthy Polymer Material, a petrochemical company based in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, sources ethane mainly from the United States to manufacture its high value-added ethylene-based products.

"As of Sept 29, we imported 510,000 metric tons of ethane from the US," said Chang Wenming, general manager of Huatai Wealthy Polymer.

The company's purchases came amid a broader recovery in China-US goods trade, which rose 4.1 percent year-on-year to 3.18 trillion yuan in the first nine months, customs data showed.

Song, the ING chief economist, said "successful trade talks" with the US and the European Union over the past month "are likely to keep the commercial environment relatively stable through the end of the year".

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Meanwhile, industrial upgrading is supporting exports, which increased 16.4 percent year-on-year to 23.2 trillion yuan during the January to September period. Equipment manufacturing accounted for nearly 90 percent of the increase in export value.

Mao Zhenhua, chief economist at China Chengxin International Credit Rating, said that China's export mix is shifting more rapidly toward high-tech and high value-added products.

Feng Lin, executive director of research at Orient Golden Credit Rating International, said the current global artificial intelligence investment boom is adding momentum to that upgrading, sustaining strong demand for semiconductor chips and related products.

Contact the writers at zhangchenxu@chinadaily.com.cn