At the beginning of 2026, Hunan’s foreign trade has delivered a report card of “making progress while maintaining stability and improving quality while progressing”.
According to data released by Changsha Customs, Hunan Province’s import and export in the first quarter of 2026 was 144.21 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.6%, of which imports increased by 32.8%, a new single-quarter high.
At the same time, the zero-tariff policy for Africa is about to be fully implemented, and the superimposed institutional opening-up continues to deepen. While expanding the scale of Hunan’s foreign trade, it is accelerating towards higher-quality development.
The main body is more flexible, the structure is better, and the foundation for foreign trade development continues to be consolidated
From the data, the “source of vitality” of Hunan’s foreign trade is growing.
In the first quarter, there were 6,837 enterprises with import and export performance in the province, an increase of 1,186 year-on-year, and the concentration of business entities accelerated.
In particular, private enterprises performed brilliantly, achieving import and export of 115.96 billion yuan, an increase of 23.1%, accounting for more than 80%, becoming the “ballast stone” for stabilizing foreign trade.
The enhancement of corporate vitality is directly reflected in the changes in export structure.
The export of mechanical and electrical products was 47.17 billion yuan, an increase of 16.6%, and its proportion increased to 58.4%, becoming the main engine driving growth.
Among them, the export of engineering machinery, automobiles, lithium batteries and other products increased by 22.1%, 31.1% and 63% respectively, and the export of electric vehicles doubled.
It can be seen that Hunan manufacturing is accelerating its leap towards “new” and “smart”.
At the same time, traditional industries are also gaining new momentum.
Exports of daily-use ceramics, fireworks and firecrackers, agricultural machinery and other products have maintained growth, which not only reflects the solid industrial foundation, but also reflects that enterprises are constantly looking for new spaces in the international market through technological transformation and brand improvement.
The new and old driving forces work together to make Hunan’s foreign trade structure more balanced and more resilient.
The market is wider, the connectivity is deeper, and the opening-up pattern is accelerating.
Another highlight of foreign trade is the continuous expansion of the “circle of friends”.
In the first quarter, Hunan’s imports and exports to traditional markets such as Hong Kong, the European Union, and the United Kingdom increased by 39.5%, 44.5%, and 32.7% respectively; its imports and exports to emerging markets such as ASEAN and Latin America also maintained rapid growth, showing that the results of diversified market layout are emerging.
What is particularly noteworthy is that the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” continues to be deepened and consolidated.
Hunan’s imports and exports to co-building countries were 84.61 billion yuan, accounting for nearly 60%. Hunan’s imports and exports to ASEAN, Latin America, and Africa increased by 19.8%, 39.3%, and 3.4% respectively.
From the perspective of regional distribution, the opening pattern is changing from “point breakthrough” to “multi-point support”.
This change is also reflected in the development of the province.
In the first quarter, 10 cities and states in Hunan Province achieved positive growth in imports and exports, and 8 cities and states including Changsha, Chenzhou, and Yueyang achieved double-digit growth.
Changsha accounts for “half of the country” with a scale of 74.08 billion yuan; other cities and states are also accelerating to catch up, and a foreign trade pattern of regional coordinated development is gradually taking shape.
Lan Shengbin, member of the Changsha Customs Party Committee and Deputy Commissioner of Customs, said: “This diversified connectivity not only enhances the ability to resist risks, but also provides a broader space for Hunan’s industrial chain and supply chain to be embedded in the global system.”
Additional policies and zero tariffs have injected new momentum into China-Africa economic and trade
If the first quarter data reflects a “stable” foundation, then the policies to be implemented will open up “advanced” space.
Starting from May 1 this year, my country will fully implement zero tariffs with 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with them.
This move is regarded as an important institutional arrangement to promote the quality and upgrading of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, and will also bring direct benefits to Hunan’s China-Africa in-depth economic and trade cooperation pilot zone.
From a practical basis, policy dividends have emerged.
Previously, my country has implemented 100% zero-tariff treatment for 33 African least developed countries. Changsha Customs has offered a total of 26.9789 million yuan in tax concessions for related imported products, effectively driving the growth of imports from Africa.
In the first quarter of this year, Hunan imported 7.04 billion yuan from Africa, a year-on-year increase of 21.9%.
As the scope of the policy expands, more African countries will be included in the “enjoyment circle”.
Currently, Hunan’s imports from Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia and other countries account for a relatively high proportion, and these countries did not enjoy least developed country status before.
After the policy is implemented, tariff costs will decrease, which will further release import potential.
More importantly, zero tariffs not only mean scale growth, but also point to structural optimization.
On the one hand, high-quality African agricultural and food products are expected to enter the Hunan market faster, ranging from fresh pineapples from Benin and Ethiopian coffee beans to South African macadamia nuts and Kenyan fresh avocados that may be expanded in the future, which will better meet the needs of consumption upgrades.
On the other hand, the cost of Hunan manufacturing companies importing parts and components from North African countries will drop significantly, which will help optimize the global supply chain layout and enhance industrial competitiveness.
“With the continuous advancement of institutional opening-up, especially the implementation of policies such as non-zero tariffs, the endogenous driving force for foreign trade growth is expected to be further enhanced.” Lan Shengbin said that Changsha Customs will continue to optimize tariff collection and policy services and promote enterprises to “enjoy everything they deserve.”
With the combination of multiple benefits, Hunan’s foreign trade is not only expected to continue its growth trend, but will also accelerate its qualitative leap in a higher level of opening up.
