Jinan sees record-high foreign trade in H1

Jinan posted record foreign trade growth in the first half of 2026, with total imports and exports reaching 157.54 billion yuan ($23.27 billion), a year-on-year increase of 27 percent – the highest growth rate among cities in Shandong province.

Exports stood at 103.64 billion yuan, rising 28.9 percent year-on-year, while imports totaled 53.9 billion yuan, up 23.6 percent from a year earlier. The strong performance reflected a more active business sector and the city's continued efforts to strengthen trade links.

Jinan continued to diversify its international markets, with trade with ASEAN, Africa, and Latin America reaching 32.1 billion yuan, 24.73 billion yuan, and 15.41 billion yuan, respectively. Trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative totaled 99.02 billion yuan, increasing 22 percent year-on-year.

The city's major opening-up platforms and logistics channels provided additional support. The Jinan Area of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone recorded 95.25 billion yuan in foreign trade, while Jinan and Zhangjin comprehensive bonded zones handled combined imports and exports of 23.02 billion yuan, up 51.6 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, Jinan's China–Europe freight train services maintained steady growth, with 641 trips made in the first half of the year, accounting for 44.6 percent of Shandong's total.

Advanced manufacturing became a key source of export growth. Exports of automobiles and auto parts climbed 60.3 percent year-on-year to 33.03 billion yuan, while exports of the "new trio" – new energy vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products – jumped 180 percent year-on-year to 1.11 billion yuan compared to the same period last year.