A bird's-eye view of Wuxi. [Photo provided to en.wuxi.gov.cn]
Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, has re‑entered the list of the country's top 10 foreign trade cities after an eight‑year hiatus, posting a 28.5 percent year‑on‑year increase in total imports and exports for the first half of 2026.
The city's total trade volume reached 499.08 billion yuan ($73.75 billion) during the six-month period, with exports surging 35.5 percent to 363.54 billion yuan — the fastest export growth among China's 10 largest foreign trade cities by volume.
The export boom reflects a broader shift among Wuxi's manufacturers, which are moving beyond standardized products toward customized technology and system solutions.
Hanchu Ess, a lithium battery manufacturer, for example, has adopted a modular design strategy that allows clients to mix and match components according to local needs — compact wall‑mounted units for European households, or integrated solar‑storage systems for African communities. The approach, described by the company as "one country, one policy" customization, helped drive exports past 313 million yuan in the first half.
Wuxi's trade geography is also diversifying. Exports to the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative reached 247.98 billion yuan in the first half, up 21.7 percent and accounting for 49.7 percent of the city's total foreign trade.
Africa has emerged as a particularly bright spot, buoyed by China's duty‑free policy for imports from 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic ties, effective from May 1. Since then, Wuxi's imports from Africa have doubled for two consecutive months, with June alone recording a 100 percent increase.
A surge in bonded zone logistics added further momentum. Imports and exports through customs‑supervised special areas hit 97.62 billion yuan in the first half, a 2.6‑fold increase that made it the city's fastest‑growing trade segment.
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