On March 10, 2026, the General Administration of Customs released foreign trade data from January to February of that year. The total import and export value of my country’s goods trade reached 7.73 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 18.3%, and the scale was a record high for the same period in history.
Among them, exports were 4.62 trillion yuan, an increase of 19.2%; imports were 3.11 trillion yuan, an increase of 17.1%.
Behind this ‘good start’ report card reflects the true background of China’s foreign trade.
When we focus on Shenzhen, the forefront of reform and opening up, we will find that Huaqiangbei and BYD, two very representative cases, are writing a new chapter in China’s manufacturing overseas.
Let’s look at Huaqiangbei first. This Spring Festival, this place has become a ‘purchasing paradise’ for foreigners.
Driven by the “Guanghuoxingtianxia” spring campaign, Huaqiangbei Technology’s New Year’s goods continue to sell well.
As of the late Spring Festival holiday, Huaqiangbei’s overall revenue increased by 35% year-on-year, and the number of foreign businessmen and tourists increased by 50% year-on-year.
The overall sales of technology products increased by more than 30% compared with normal days, and the sales of AI glasses increased by 70% – 80%.
Once upon a time, Huaqiangbei was synonymous with ‘copycat mobile phones’, but now it has become the outpost of AI hardware overseas.
Local incubated brands such as Pinhang Drones, Elephant Robots, and Artistic Vision AI Glasses are deeply loved by people at home and abroad.
In February this year, Huaqiangbei shipped more than 3 million express items per day, about 40% of which were sent overseas, with the annual value of goods exceeding 100 billion yuan.
Here, a “Shenzhen speed” supply chain of “design in the morning, proofing in the afternoon, mass production the next day, and shipping within a week” has been formed here. Its transformation reflects the general trend of upgrading China’s export structure.
According to data from the General Administration of Customs, my country’s exports of mechanical and electrical products in the first two months were 2.89 trillion yuan, an increase of 24.3%, and the export value of high-tech products increased by 24.2%.
Looking at BYD again, BYD ushered in an important moment in February 2026. It exported 100,600 new energy vehicles that month, and overseas sales exceeded domestic sales for the first time.
From a cumulative perspective this year, BYD’s sales in the first two months totaled 400,241 vehicles, and its export contribution increased significantly.
BYD’s overseas expansion is not an isolated case. China’s automobile industry is collectively ‘going global’.
Customs data shows that the quantity and value of automobiles (including chassis) exports increased by 57.9% and 63.1% respectively in the first two months. In the context of global energy transformation, China’s new energy vehicles have become a new engine for foreign trade growth.
Through Huaqiangbei’s AI glasses and BYD’s new energy vehicles, we can see the three supporting points of China’s foreign trade resilience.
The first is the ‘cushion’ of market diversification. Although exports to the United States fell in the first two months, exports to ASEAN and the EU increased, and imports and exports to countries jointly building the ‘Belt and Road’ increased by 20.0%.
The second is a ride-on ride on the global AI wave. At the beginning of the year, the global AI investment boom heated up, and my country’s integrated circuit exports grew as high as 72.6%.
The third is the ‘engine’ of the vitality of private enterprises. In the first two months, the import and export of private enterprises was 4.51 trillion yuan, an increase of 22.8%, accounting for half of the total foreign trade value.
Of course, China’s foreign trade also faces challenges. Sino-US economic and trade relations, geopolitical risks, high base effects, etc. may affect subsequent export growth.
However, the global market’s demand for Chinese manufacturing is still strong. From Huaqiangbei to BYD, from AI glasses to new energy vehicles, Chinese manufacturing is achieving a qualitative leap. This is not only the continuation of “Guanghuo Xingtianxia”, but also the beginning of “Intelligent Manufacturing in China” going global.
