China's trade with Belt and Road partners exceeds 3 trillion U.S. dollars
China's trade with Belt and Road partner countries rose 17.1 percent year on year in the first three quarters of 2026 to 20.37 trillion yuan, or about 3.04 trillion U.S. dollars.
According to China's General Administration of Customs, Belt and Road partner countries accounted for 51 percent of the country's total foreign trade. Trade increased with nearly 80 percent of participating countries.
In the first seven months of the year, China ranked among the top three trading partners of 134 Belt and Road partner countries and was the largest trading partner of 74.
Chinese exports to these markets ranged from goods for major infrastructure projects to advanced technologies. In the first nine months, exports of goods for contracted construction projects approached 100 billion yuan, or about 15 billion U.S. dollars.
Medical technology exports also grew rapidly, with shipments of surgical robots to partner countries rising 290 percent.
China also expanded agricultural imports. Purchases from Egypt, Senegal and Kenya recorded double-digit growth. Chinese customs recently approved imports of plums and apricots from Tajikistan, bay leaves from Türkiye and cherries from South Africa.
According to CCTV+, growing trade with Belt and Road partners is strengthening their role in China's foreign economic relations and creating new opportunities for mutually beneficial trade and investment cooperation.
