The total value of goods trade imports and exports in the Yangtze River Delta in east China reached 11.41 trillion yuan (about 1.59 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first seven months of 2026, hitting a record high, official data showed Tuesday.
This figure translates into an 18.9 percent year-on-year foreign trade value increase in the region, accounting for 37.9 percent of China's total foreign trade value in the first seven months of the year, according to Shanghai Customs.
With rising global demand for digitalization and intelligent technologies, high-tech products in the Yangtze River Delta have become a core engine driving foreign trade.
The export of integrated circuits and high-end equipment has grown rapidly, helping the foreign trade scale of east China's Jiangsu Province stay top in the region.
East China's Zhejiang Province remained first in terms of exports of future industry products such as intelligent bio-robots, with its private economy showcasing strong innovative vitality.
The foreign trade volume of Shanghai in the first seven months exceeded three trillion yuan (about 445.06 billion U.S. dollars) for the first time. Among which, its foreign trade value with Belt and Road participating countries increased by over 40 percent.
With a growth rate of 35.7 percent, Anhui Province led the foreign trade expansion in the Yangtze River Delta. Its volume and value of automobile exports both ranked first nationwide.
China's Yangtze River Delta reports record-high foreign trade in Jan-July period
Chinese and European representatives called for closer cooperation on trade, investment, electric vehicles and artificial intelligence at a round-table meeting in Hangzhou, eastern China's Zhejiang Province, on Monday, highlighting areas of shared economic interest despite strains in broader China-EU relations.
Thirty-seven representatives attended the 21st China-EU Round Table, co-hosted by the China Economic and Social Council and the European Economic and Social Committee, advisory bodies representing business, labor and other social groups.
The discussions covered poverty reduction, trade and investment, and artificial intelligence. Participants said cooperation between China and the European Union, two of the world's largest economies, remained important for trade and global growth.
Paul Rubig, a member of the Employers' Group at the European Economic and Social Committee, said stronger two-way investment could support trade and boost consumers' purchasing power.
"I think it's very good to see that the investment on both sides should be developed in a more professional way. So it's very interesting for China companies to invest into Europe and vice versa, because that would align a good trading policy. And if it's in products or in services, for the consumers it's important to gain buying power. And you gain buying power in export and import," said Rubig.
Electric vehicles were another focus of the talks, as Chinese new-energy vehicles gain a growing presence in Europe despite tariffs. Delegates said sharing experience could help make advanced electric-mobility technologies more widely available.
Ioannis Paidas, president of the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions, said China had established a substantial lead in electric-vehicle technology.
"It is true that China has indeed pulled far ahead when it comes to electric vehicle technology. Even in Europe right now, millions of vehicles featuring Chinese electric technology with top performance are on the roads. In my own country, Greece, 60 percent of the electric buses that have been brought in for Athens and Thessaloniki are Chinese-made electric buses. It must be said here that because Europe has a great many automotive industries, China ought to share its latest developments in electric vehicle technology with Europe, so that Europe too can acquire cutting-edge technology for electric mobility," said Paidas.
Trade links between China and Europe have also continued to expand. The China-Europe Railway Express operated 12,988 services from January through July in 2026, up 17.6 percent from a year earlier, according to China State Railway Group.
Participants said the discussions showed continued scope for practical cooperation in trade, investment and emerging technologies.
Chinese, EU representatives call for closer trade, investment ties
