China's courier sector continued to expand in scale in the first five months of 2026, with multiple holidays driving online consumption, and with courier companies keeping upgrading their facility networks, according to the State Post Bureau on Monday.
In the January-May period, 89.89 billion courier delivery parcels had been handled, up 4.3 percent year on year, including 82.87 billion express delivery parcels, a year-on-year increase of 5.2 percent, according to the bureau. In east China's economically developed Zhejiang Province, the winding slope roads on the Putuo Mountain have long posed a challenge to parcel delivery, requiring couriers to haul tricycles uphill by human power and endure exhausting climbs. But in a recent upgrade, couriers working on the mountain slopes have been outfitted with lightweight intelligent exoskeletons, which cut physical strain by 30 percent and ease lumbar spine pressure by 50 percent. "This one weighs over 20 kilograms, and this one is nearly 40 kilograms. On top of that, they're fragile. And there are a lot of upward slopes and stairs along the way, roughly the equivalent of climbing three or four stories. [After putting it on,] the exoskeleton gives my legs a boost whenever I lift them, so I don't feel as tired and I can move much more nimbly," said Wu Youji, a courier.
The opening of new hubs and routes has further extended the reach of express delivery services. In May, the public international cargo terminal at the Ezhou Huahu International Airport was officially put into operation. Also, express delivery companies activated the international functions of the Jiaxing Global Aviation Logistics Hub, continuously extending coverage of the air transport network. "The courier sector has continued to expand in scale, with infrastructure steadily upgraded, services extended into diverse scenarios, and new models and new equipment rolled out at an accelerated pace. This has lead to synchronized improvement in service quality and operational efficiency, and the sector's role in supporting the real economy has become increasingly prominent," said Liu Jiang, director of the Strategic Planning and Research Department at the Development and Research Center of the State Post Bureau.
China's courier sector in continued expansion in January-May
