62.5 billion yuan allocated to fund 2026 trade-in programs

China has allocated 62.5 billion yuan (about 9.1 billion U.S. dollars) in new ultra-long special treasury bonds to fund consumer goods trade-in programs in 2026, according to the country's top economic planner.

This marks the second batch of funds raised through such bonds for the programs this year, and has been earmarked to various regions, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement.

The NDRC said it will provide further guidance for local regions to optimize fund utilization plans, strengthen supervision, standardize subsidy applications and reviews, and crack down on fraudulent practices.

According to the optimized policy, local regions will make up plans for the balanced use of funds by sector and implement advance funding in home appliances, digital products and smart products to ease the pressure of advance payments on sales companies.

In late December 2025, the first batch of funds raised through ultra-long treasury bonds carrying the same value was allocated for the year 2026 to support the trade-in programs aimed at boosting consumption.

The government plans to allocate a total of 250 billion yuan in ultra-long special treasury bonds to support trade-in programs in 2026.

Official data showed that the sales of consumer goods under China's policy-backed trade-in programs have reached 433.17 billion yuan this year, benefiting 60.93 million people.

From January to February, the total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 2.8 percent year on year, which was 1.9 percentage points higher than the growth rate in December 2025.

62.5 billion yuan allocated to fund 2026 trade-in programs

The 139th China Import and Export Fair, commonly known as the Canton Fair, is seeing steady, high-quality growth in buyer attendance with an increasingly diversified global market reach, an official from the China Foreign Trade Center (CFTC) said at a press briefing on Friday.

According to the CFTC, pre-registrations for the upcoming fair have surpassed 210,000, marking a 20 percent year-on-year increase. The new buyers mainly come from countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, with rapid increases also seen from regions including Latin America and Africa.

Zhu Yong, director of the China Foreign Trade Center, outlined the key characteristics of the pre-registered buyers and their procurement priorities.

"For the first time, professional buyers account for over 70 percent of total pre-registrations. These buyers have demonstrated robust demand for China's new, green and smart products, with electrical and electronic products, consumer electronics, and power and electrical equipment ranking as the top three categories for pre-registered purchasing intentions," she said.

Established in 1957, the Canton Fair is held every spring and autumn in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. As the longest-running comprehensive international trade event in China, it is widely regarded as a barometer of China's foreign trade. It has been successfully held for 138 sessions and has helped establish trade relations with more than 229 countries and regions around the world.

The upcoming 139th edition is scheduled to take place from April 15 to May 5, 2026.

139th Canton Fair sees rise in buyer quality, market diversity: official