Zhang Li (center), an assistant minister of commerce, chairs a roundtable meeting with foreign trade companies in Beijing on December 23, 2025. Representatives from 10 firms attended the meeting, exchanging views on China's import and export performance in 2025 and the outlook for foreign trade in 2026. Photo: Website of the China's Ministry of Commerce

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) vowed on Tuesday to step up policy support to foster innovation-driven development in foreign trade, during a roundtable meeting with foreign trade companies, according to the ministry's official website.

The roundtable was chaired by Zhang Li, an assistant minister of commerce, and attended by representatives from 10 foreign trade companies. Participants exchanged views on China's import and export performance in 2025 and the outlook for foreign trade in 2026, the MOFCOM said on Wednesday.

Zhang said that this year, China's foreign trade has withstood pressure from an exceptionally complex and challenging external environment, achieving relatively fast growth and continued structural improvement, and making positive contributions to overall economic growth and employment stability. 

The MOFCOM vowed to fully implement the decisions and arrangements of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, promote innovation in foreign trade, advance the integrated development of trade and investment as well as domestic and foreign trade, and help ensure a solid start of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period.

Officials from the MOFCOM, the People's Bank of China, the General Administration of Customs and the State Taxation Administration responded to issues and suggestions raised by participating companies during the meeting.

Company representatives attending the meeting said that foreign trade policies introduced by the Chinese government this year have helped businesses move toward higher-quality development and expand space for trade cooperation, the MOFCOM said.

They added that enterprises are confident in navigating uncertainties in the international environment and achieving steady business growth.

The latest official data showed that the foreign trade of various regions in China expanded steadily in the first 11 months of this year, with momentum continuing to build. Figures from major trading regions point to robust activity, with foreign trade in multiple regions reaching record highs for the period.

In the first 11 months of this year, the total trade of the nine Chinese mainland cities in Guangdong Province and the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao reached 8.3 trillion yuan ($1.18 trillion), up 4.6 percent year-on-year, a record high for the period, the China Media Group reported on Tuesday.

Notably, nearly 70 percent of traded goods were mechanical and electrical products, with exports dominated by high-tech items such as electronic components, computers and related parts.

The Yangtze River Delta region's foreign trade surpassed 15 trillion yuan for the first time for the period, reaching 15.46 trillion yuan, up 6.2 percent, the report said. Meanwhile, the region's trade with Belt and Road Initiative partner countries rose 11 percent.

Total trade of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region stood at 4.3 trillion yuan in the first 11 months, including exports of 1.32 trillion yuan, a record high for the period, according to the CMG report.

Also among them, exports by private enterprises exceeded 600 billion yuan for the first time, growing 16.1 percent and surpassing last year's full-year level. They accounted for 47.4 percent of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region's total exports, emerging as the main driver of regional foreign trade growth.

Global Times