- Exports powered by market procurement trade drove most of the growth.
- Africa and Southeast Asia emerged as the fastest-growing overseas markets.
Yiwu, China’s sprawling small-commodities trading hub, posted an increase of 53% in its foreign trade in the first two months of 2026, underscoring resilient global demand for low-cost manufactured goods despite an uncertain global economic outlook.
The city in eastern China’s Zhejiang recorded total imports and exports of 173.56 billion yuan ($24 billion) in January and February, up 52.8% from a year earlier, customs data showed.
Exports rose 52.9% to 154.72 billion yuan, while imports climbed 52.6% to 18.84 billion yuan.
Much of the expansion was driven by Yiwu’s hallmark market procurement trade model, which allows small exporters to consolidate diverse, low-value goods into simplified customs declarations.
This trading system is designed for the city’s world-famous dense network of small merchants.
Shipments under this channel reached 127.76 billion yuan, accounting for 82.6% of total exports and rising nearly 55% year on year.
By comparison, general trade — typically involving larger firms exporting standardized goods under conventional customs procedures — totaled 35.09 billion yuan in imports and exports, up 43.2% over the previous year.
Bonded logistics trade increased 56.8% to 10.34 billion yuan during the same period.
Meanwhile, Yiwu’s trading footprint continued to widen geographically. The city conducted trade with 222 countries and regions in the January-February period, nine more than a year earlier.
Africa remained its largest overseas market, with trade jumping 84.7% to 35.41 billion yuan, representing about one-fifth of total trade.
Exchanges with ASEAN countries nearly doubled to 24.74 billion yuan, while trade with Latin America and the European Union grew 34% and 64.6%, respectively.
Commerce with Belt and Road economies reached 124.43 billion yuan, up 59.5% and representing more than 70% of Yiwu’s total trade volume.
Higher-value goods
Notably, Yiwu’s export growth was led by higher-value manufactured goods in early 2026.
Electromechanical products generated 58.09 billion yuan in exports, rocketing 54.8%, including strong gains in home appliances and specialized equipment.
Auto parts shipments more than doubled to 3.07 billion yuan, reflecting growing overseas demand for Chinese automotive supply chains.
On the import side, consumer goods dominated, totaling 10.51 billion yuan, making up more than half of Yiwu’s inbound trade.
This highlights the city’s evolving role not only as an export marketplace but also as a distribution hub for global consumer products entering China.
