On June 9th, the General Administration of Customs released data showing that in the first five months of this year, China's total import and export value of goods trade reached 20.68 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15.3%. Among them, the monthly import and export volume in May was 4.45 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year growth rate further expanding to 16.9%.
Lv Daliang, Director of the Statistics and Analysis Department of the General Administration of Customs, stated that since the beginning of this year, China has actively deepened pragmatic cooperation with global economic and trade partners, injecting stabilizing forces into international economic and trade operations. As of May, monthly imports and exports have exceeded 4 trillion yuan for three consecutive months, maintaining a good operating trend.
It is worth noting that the highlights of China's foreign trade structure are more prominent than the growth rate on the report card. From the perspective of key commodities, in the first five months, the export of high-tech and high value-added electromechanical products reached 7.58 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 18.4%, accounting for over 60% of China's overall exports. The export of green products such as lithium batteries and wind turbines increased by about 40% year-on-year.
Professor Ge Ming from the School of Economics and Management at Southwest University believes that "these achievements are not accidental. They reflect the technological advantages and industrial chain advantages accumulated by China's manufacturing industry in the past decade's digital and intelligent transformation, which are being concentrated and transformed into export competitiveness
Loudi City in Hunan Province has outstanding advantages in the research and manufacturing of small-scale agricultural machinery that adapts to hilly and mountainous areas. Many local enterprises are seizing the emerging demand in overseas markets and promoting the export of "small agricultural machinery". Liu Ruoqiao, the person in charge of Hunan Nongyou Machinery Group Co., Ltd., introduced that from January to April this year, the company's foreign trade grew rapidly and has achieved an export volume of about 20 million yuan.
Haihui Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd., located in Juxian County, Rizhao, Shandong Province, focuses on the research and development and production of new energy special vehicles, and opens up the global market through customized services. At present, the export business of the enterprise accounts for 75% of the total revenue. The company's general manager Xu Fei told reporters that the company focuses on providing customized solutions for customers, and the export volume is expected to double this year compared to last year.
This series of dynamic numbers highlights the vigorous vitality of "Made in China" setting sail to the sea. Experts believe that the competition for "intelligence" and "novelty" in China's foreign trade products and formats is the result of the implementation of the innovation driven development strategy.
In the production workshop of Shanxi Yiri Qianli Technology Co., Ltd., the intelligent robotic arm flexibly swings and grabs materials, and the automated production line runs smoothly at high speed, exuding the vigorous vitality of intelligent manufacturing everywhere.
This private science and technology innovation enterprise was established in 2020 and is a new force in the field of intelligent equipment manufacturing in Shanxi. Its independently developed robotic arms, cotton balers, palletizers, composite machines, and integrated board intelligent automation assembly lines have obtained 21 patents and are exported to domestic and foreign markets with the advantages of high efficiency, intelligence, and stability. Li Xiaohui, the general manager of the company, told reporters that innovation is not only the soul of enterprise development, but also the driving force of enterprise development. "Under the needs of customers, we need to constantly improve, optimize, and innovate to achieve the desired results of our products
In fact, the leap from "Made in China" to "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" in recent years is supported by a solid industrial foundation. According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the scale of industries such as intelligent manufacturing equipment, industrial software, and system solutions in China has exceeded 4.5 trillion yuan.
From the perspective of R&D investment, data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that China's overall R&D investment has steadily increased, exceeding 3.92 trillion yuan by 2025, ranking second in the world in terms of scale; The intensity of research and development funding has increased to 2.80%, exceeding the average level of member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). These data together outline a solid foundation for accelerating from a "manufacturing power" to a "manufacturing powerhouse".
In Henan, Jiangsu and other places, many manufacturing enterprises have told reporters that with the implementation of relevant regulations for the development of the private economy, policies such as property rights protection, tax incentives, and R&D subsidies have been directly implemented, allowing enterprises to continue to increase R&D investment, tackle core technologies, and expand their global layout.
Fan Haojie, General Manager of Jiangsu Xuzhou Ruima Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., said, "This year, we plan to increase our R&D investment by 30% year-on-year, and expand our R&D personnel by more than 80. At the same time, we have also launched the construction of multiple R&D bases in Shanghai, Chongqing, and Wuhan
In recent years, Henan Juntong Vehicle Co., Ltd. has continuously increased its research and development investment and improved its technological level. Vice General Manager Li Yanjun told reporters that since 2026, the company's total production and sales have exceeded 10000 units, with more than half of them being exported. The order volume and exports have increased by 56% and 40% respectively year-on-year.
Looking ahead to the future, Professor Ge Ming from the School of Economics and Management at Southwest University stated that China's export structure is accelerating its transformation from "quantity growth" to "quality improvement". "Now, China has formed a complete industrial ecosystem from core components to complete machine manufacturing in fields such as AI, new energy, and automation, which can quickly respond to global market demand. I think we can continue to make efforts in five aspects: first, deepen AI empowerment of the entire foreign trade chain; Secondly, improve the cross-border financial service system; Thirdly, strengthen technical trade measures to respond; Fourth, support enterprises in building a global supply chain network; Fifth, continuously optimize the business environment for foreign trade.