China Foreign Trade Extends Rapid Growth, CCPIT Data Shows

China’s foreign trade continued its rapid growth trajectory in August 2026, according to commercial certification data released by the country’s national trade promotion system, which recorded double-digit expansion in the value and volume of certificates of origin.

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) reported that the national trade promotion system issued 769,400 certificates of various types in August — including certificates of origin, ATA carnets, and commercial attestations — up 5.92 percent year-on-year, Xinhua News reported.

Certificates of Origin Post Double-Digit Gains

The strongest signal came from certificates of origin, the administrative documents exporters use to prove the origin of goods and claim tariff preferences under trade agreements. Non-preferential certificates of origin reached a value of USD 33.887 billion, up 16.48 percent year-on-year, with volume rising 3.26 percent to 397,900 certificates.

Preferential certificates of origin — used to claim reduced tariffs under free trade agreements — grew even faster, with value reaching USD 11.298 billion, a 28.06 percent year-on-year increase, and volume climbing 13.46 percent to 315,900 certificates.

“The value and number of certificates of origin issued by the national trade promotion system have maintained overall double-digit growth, which fully confirms that China’s foreign trade is continuing its rapid growth trajectory,” said Wang Wenshuai, a spokesperson for CCPIT.

Wang attributed the performance to the support of China’s complete industrial system and innovation capacity, as well as the growing proficiency of exporters in using free trade agreement preferential policies to open new markets.

Separately, RCEP certificates of origin — issued under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the Asia-Pacific trade bloc that includes China — reached USD 995 million in value, up 14.10 percent year-on-year, according to Yicai. Wang said the steady growth in preferential certificates reflected that China’s high-level opening-up policy “continues to release dividends” and that regional economic integration and trade facilitation have improved.

Broader Trade Figures Reinforce the Trend

The certification data aligns with official customs and statistics figures. According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, total goods trade for January–August 2026 reached RMB 34.7753 trillion, up 17.6 percent year-on-year, with exports rising 14.6 percent and imports up 22.0 percent.

In August alone, goods trade totaled RMB 4.6455 trillion, up 19.8 percent year-on-year — a slight acceleration from the prior month — as exports grew 18.6 percent and imports 21.7 percent. Trade with Belt and Road Initiative partner countries rose 15.9 percent in the first eight months, private enterprise trade grew 17.6 percent, and machinery and electrical product exports climbed 21.9 percent.

Set Against Persistent Global Trade Friction

The upbeat certification figures emerge against a backdrop of persistently high global trade friction. CCPIT’s global trade friction index stood at 101 for July 2026, remaining in elevated territory, Yicai reported. The value of measures involved declined 18.7 percent year-on-year and 2.2 percent month-on-month, largely because the United States, the European Union, and India had issued dense tariff measures in the same period a year earlier that had pushed the index higher.

The United States, India, and the EU topped the friction index, with US trade protection measures ranking first globally in value for eight consecutive months. Conflict points were concentrated in electronics — where the index was highest — along with transportation equipment, chemicals, and machinery. Trade remedy investigations fell from 68 in June to 17 in July.

Balancing Optimism With Caution

While CCPIT’s framing emphasized rapid growth and the dividends of opening-up, the National Bureau of Statistics struck a more cautious note in its August economic report, warning that “the adverse effects of the external environment are deepening” and that a domestic imbalance of strong supply and weak demand is prominent.

The statistics bureau said some enterprises face operational difficulties and that “the foundation for steady economic improvement still needs to be consolidated,” underscoring that trade momentum is unfolding alongside softer domestic demand and headwinds abroad.

What to Watch Next

CCPIT’s certification data serves as a real-time proxy for export activity and for how effectively Chinese exporters are using trade agreements. The faster growth in preferential certificates relative to non-preferential ones signals deepening utilization of pacts such as RCEP — a trend likely to be tested as global trade frictions persist.

Looking ahead, attention will turn to whether the momentum recorded in August carries into the final months of 2026, particularly given US trade measures, elevated friction in electronics, and the domestic demand gap flagged by statisticians. CCPIT said it will continue to expand international trade cooperation through a series of exhibitions and forums in the coming months, including the APEC CEO Summit in Shenzhen in November.