In the first half of the year, imports and exports to ASEAN reached 4.34 trillion yuan, an increase of 18.2%, marking the 10th consecutive quarter of growth. The Western Land Sea New Corridor contributed 18.2% growth, with electricity exports unexpectedly becoming a highlight of the increase. The railway freight between China and Laos exceeded 20 million tons, and Southeast Asian fruits reached the Chinese table in two days.

Intermediate goods carry the big beam

On July 14, 2026, the General Administration of Customs released data showing that China's imports and exports to ASEAN reached 4.34 trillion yuan in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 18.2%. In the second quarter, imports and exports amounted to 2.37 trillion yuan, with a growth rate of 20.2%. The integration and interlocking of industrial chains have driven steady growth in intermediate goods trade - the import and export of intermediate goods reached 2.86 trillion yuan, an increase of 24.5%, accounting for two-thirds of the total bilateral trade value. A noteworthy detail is that electricity, as a special commodity, has attracted attention for the first time.

According to customs statistics, China exported 2.39 billion kilowatt hours of electricity to ASEAN in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 42.9%, directly supporting regional production and living needs.

Significant improvement in logistics efficiency

Infrastructure interconnectivity is the underlying support for trade expansion. In the first half of the year, the import and export of ASEAN through the Western Land Sea New Corridor increased by 18.2%, railway transportation increased by 24.7%, and road transportation increased by 17.5%. The cumulative cross-border freight transport of China Laos railway has exceeded 20 million tons, and the number of cross-border trains has exceeded 23000. The categories of goods have expanded from more than 10 to more than 3800. The combined transportation mode of "China Laos Railway+China Europe Express" has opened up a new logistics route from Southeast Asia to Europe through China. Keywords: Cross border railway, Cross border logistics

Trade facilitation is also being promoted synchronously. In June, the 24th China ASEAN Customs Directors' Consultation was held in Cambodia, and both sides agreed to implement the Smart Customs Partnership Program, promote electronic networking of certificates of origin, expand the scope of AEO mutual recognition, and deepen single window connectivity. With a combination of punches, cross-border logistics from Vientiane to Kunming is becoming faster, more stable, and cheaper.Editor/Cheng Liting