China's logistics sector has posted steady growth in the first nine months of 2026, driven by resilient logistics demand and improving alignment between supply and demand across industrial chains, according to data released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) on Sunday.
In the first three quarters, the total value of social logistics nationwide reached 280 trillion yuan (about 42 trillion U.S. dollars), up 4.9 percent year on year at comparable prices. Total revenue for the logistics industry reached 11.1 trillion yuan, up 4.3 percent from a year ago.
The improved supply-demand structure, built on greater efficiency in industrial chains, has helped ensure the smooth circulation of the economy, the federation said.
Cost reduction and efficiency gains continued to consolidate. In the January-September period, the ratio of total social logistics costs to GDP fell to 13.8 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from the same period last year. Based on China's GDP for the first three quarters, this represents a saving of 210 billion yuan in total social logistics costs.
Despite rising upstream fuel costs, the optimization of economic, transport and demand structures has effectively offset cost pressures.
"Since the third quarter started, China's economic structure and logistics supply and demand have been upgrading in tandem, which has to some extent offset the impact of fluctuations in international bulk commodities. The trend of industry and logistics extending toward high-value-added categories has continued to deepen, social logistics services have continued to improve, and the development momentum of rising operational quality and efficiency has been further consolidated.," said Liu Yuhang, director of China Logistics Information Center.
China's logistics sector posts steady growth, quality-efficiency gains in first 9 months
China's logistics sector posts steady growth, quality-efficiency gains in first 9 months
Trade between China and Africa reached 312.11 billion U.S. dollars in the first nine months of 2026, up 22 percent from the same period last year, the latest customs data showed.
From vases to dining tables, more and more African products are enriching the choices of Chinese consumers, driven by China's zero-tariff policy for African countries.
Effective May 1 of this year, China fully implemented zero tariffs on 100 percent of tariff lines for 53 African countries with which it has established diplomatic relations, allowing a large number of African goods to enter the Chinese market.
From May to September, the import value of African peanuts, frozen strawberries and avocados soared 4.4 times, 113 percent and 82 percent, respectively, compared with the same period last year. China has become Egypt's largest export market for frozen strawberries, and 90 percent of South Africa's pecan exports are sold to China. "Both China and Africa have benefited extensively. On the one hand, African products have enriched the supply in the domestic market, with 70 percent of China's sesame imports and 40 percent of its coffee imports coming from Africa, while African pomelos, apples, and other fruits have met consumers' demand for out-of-season fresh fruit. On the other hand, the African people have also reaped tangible benefits," said Liu Yu, director of the West Asia and Africa Department under the Ministry of Commerce.
Behind this abundance of imported goods lie unimpeded transportation corridors and an increasingly dense logistics network.
This year, the cargo route between Ezhou City in central China's Hubei Province and Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa has been increased to seven flights per week. In the first nine months, 456 flights were operated, up nearly 60 percent year on year.
Yue Bin, deputy general manager of the Enterprise Management Department under the Hubei International Logistics Airport Co., Ltd., said their business has benefited significantly from the increased flights.
"Since the beginning of this year, the overall cargo volume to Africa has grown very rapidly. Our cargo volume has doubled to 36,000 metric tons to date. Products such as fresh flowers have very strict requirements for transit time. With the increased frequency of flights, products like fresh flowers and coffee beans can now enter the Chinese market more conveniently," he said.
Meanwhile, maritime transport has also expanded import channels for African products, with the China-Africa logistics network continuing to densify.
Since the beginning of this year, cargo volume on the general cargo liner route between Yantai Port and Africa has exceeded 8 million tons, up 93 percent year on year and hitting a record high since the route was launched. The average number of monthly sailings to Africa has remained above 30, covering more than 20 African countries and regions.
China-Africa trade up 22 pct in first 9 months as zero-tariff policy boosts African imports
