According to the statistics from the General Administration of Customs, in the first half of the year, China's foreign trade import and export volume surpassed 20 trillion yuan for the first time, reaching 20.1 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 2.1%. Among them, exports amounted to 11.46 trillion yuan, with a growth of 3.7%; imports reached 8.64 trillion yuan, experiencing a slight decrease of 0.1%.

In the first half of the year, China's foreign trade import and export achieved new breakthroughs and demonstrated strong resilience with an optimized structure. Specifically, China's foreign trade volume has shown steady progress. In the first half of the year, the total value of foreign trade imports and exports in China exceeded 20 trillion yuan for the first time in history. The volume reached 9.76 trillion yuan in the first quarter and 10.34 trillion yuan in the second quarter, with positive year-on-year growth for both periods. Looking at the quarter-on-quarter comparison, the second quarter's import and export volume increased by 6% compared to the first quarter, with both May and June experiencing a month-on-month growth of 1.2%.

From the perspective of trade methods, in the first half of the year, the growth rate of general trade imports and exports, which have longer industrial chains and higher added value, was faster than the overall growth rate. The proportion of general trade in the total import and export value increased by 1.2 percentage points, reaching 65.5%, indicating a steady enhancement of China's trade self-development capability.

In terms of regional distribution, the development pace of the central and western regions, as well as the three provinces in Northeast China, has accelerated. In the first half of the year, their imports and exports increased by 2.8% and 4.5%, respectively. Combined, they accounted for 21% of China's total import and export value, contributing to a more balanced regional development.

In the first half of the year, China's imports and exports with its top trading partner, the ASEAN, amounted to 3.08 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 5.4%, accounting for 15.3% of the total import and export value. Imports and exports with the European Union reached 2.75 trillion yuan, showing a growth of 1.9%, representing 13.7% of the total. Meanwhile, imports and exports with the United States reached 2.25 trillion yuan, declining by 8.4%, accounting for 11.2%.

China's imports and exports with countries along the "Belt and Road" achieved a growth rate close to double digits, contributing to 34.3% of the total import and export value. During the same period, imports and exports with emerging markets such as Latin America and Africa grew by 7% and 10.5% respectively, showcasing a more diversified international market.

The green industry is showing strong momentum. In the first half of the year, the combined exports of the "three new products," namely electric passenger cars, lithium batteries, and solar cells, grew by 61.6%, contributing to a 1.8 percentage point increase in overall exports.

Lv Daliang analyzed, "Currently, the world economic recovery is weak, global trade and investment are slowing down, and the direct impact of weakened external demand on our foreign trade continues. Indeed, China's foreign trade faces pressures, fluctuations, and challenges. However, China's economy remains resilient, with great potential and vitality. The fundamental long-term positive factors have not changed. In addition, with a robust industrial system and comprehensive production capacity, foreign trade development has sufficient resilience and room for maneuver. I believe that China's trade will maintain its position as the world's largest goods trading nation this year."