At the State Council Information Office press conference on 13 October, Vice Minister of Customs Wang Jun said that despite multiple headwinds, China’s exports have maintained robust growth this year, rising more than 7% in the first three quarters and expanding for eight consecutive quarters.

According to Wang, four factors are driving the momentum:

1、China’s complete industrial system underpins growth.

Large scale, full industrial categories and strong supporting capacity make China an indispensable link in global supply chains. Since 2008 China has ranked first worldwide in manufactured-goods exports, with a share of nearly 20%. Customs data show manufacturing exports have grown for eight years in a row, up 7.1% in January–September, with special-purpose equipment, automobiles and instruments all posting double-digit increases.

2、Innovation unlocks potential.

As new growth drivers emerge, high-tech exports reached RMB 3.75 trillion in the first three quarters, up 11.9% and accounting for over 30% of total export growth. Ship and offshore-platform exports rose 25.5%; a recently delivered LNG production platform alone was worth nearly RMB 15 billion. Technology is also powering brand building—Chinese-brand EVs and farm machinery now make up 59.5% and 40.2% of respective exports, both markedly higher than a year ago.

3、Tailor-made products widen market space.

Firms are offering customised solutions: split-type air-conditioners whose indoor/outdoor units can be installed separately, boosting Europe-bound AC exports by more than 20%; solar streetlights that track the sun in real time, sharply raising power output in tropical, rainy regions. Exports to about 80% of China’s trading partners rose in the first nine months.

4、Policy support and resilient supply chains sustain momentum.

Although economic globalization faces headwinds and trade-policy uncertainty is rising, Wang stressed that globalization remains irreversible and preserving supply-chain stability serves every country’s interests. China will continue to inject new dynamism into exports through steady policy implementation and high-quality supply that meets global demand.