Eastern China's Yangtze River Delta region cemented its role as the country's trade powerhouse in 2025, accounting for over a third of the nation's total foreign trade amid strong growth in manufacturing exports, according to the latest customs data.

Covering around 358,000 square kilometers, the Yangtze River Delta region, which includes Shanghai Municipality and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, all in eastern China, is one of the country's most economically dynamic and innovative areas.

According to customs statistics, in 2025, the region's total imports and exports reached 17.02 trillion yuan (about 2.44 trillion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 6.3 percent. Its share of China's total foreign trade rose to 37.4 percent. Of this, exports totaled 10.84 trillion yuan (about 1.55 trillion U.S. dollars), accounting for over 40 percent of the national total.

At a Zhejiang-based new energy vehicle (NEV) company, production lines have been operating nonstop. On average, 42 NEVs roll off the assembly line every hour, with a monthly output exceeding 20,000 units.

"65 percent of our core components are self-developed and manufactured. Our cost-effective products meet the diverse needs of users for smart electric vehicles, achieving strong results in markets such as Europe and ASEAN. In 2025, we delivered nearly 600,000 new vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 103 percent," said Peng Liang, manager of the NEV manufacturer.

The surge in overseas orders has driven innovation in logistics. In 2025, the Zhuangyuan'ao Terminal in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, launched roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) shipping services for vehicle exports, significantly improving loading efficiency and space utilization.

"By combining container shipping with ro-ro vessels, we overcome the limitations of traditional road export, greatly enhancing logistics efficiency. Our export volume soared by 109 percent in 2025," said Chen Demin, another NEV company manager.

Statistics show that Zhejiang has become a hub for the manufacturing of NEVs and automotive components. In 2025, the province produced over two million cars, with electric vehicles accounting for more than 60 percent, marking the first time EV output surpassed the one-million mark. Now nearly 60 percent of exports are from domestic brands.

"NEVs were exported to over 150 countries and regions, 20 more than in 2024. Exports to our largest market, the Middle East, exceeded 10 billion yuan. Exports to markets including the EU, ASEAN, Latin America, Australia, and Africa all at least doubled," said Lai Jiongye, director of the Statistics and Analysis Department at Hangzhou Customs.

With its robust manufacturing base, complete industrial chains, and commitment to openness and innovation, the Yangtze River Delta has achieved breakthroughs in trade scale, structure, and market diversification.

Exports of high-tech products, such as shipbuilding and offshore engineering equipment, as well as biomedicine, increased by 11.4 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively, each accounting for more than half of the national total in its category.