China’s trade city rankings shift in the first seven months as Shenzhen widens lead over Shanghai and Suzhou moves to No. 3
China’s foreign trade rankings by city changed notably in the first seven months of 2026, with Shenzhen extending its lead over Shanghai, Suzhou overtaking Beijing for third place, and Wuxi entering the national top 10 while Qingdao fell out. Data released by the General Administration of Customs showed total goods trade reached 30.13 trillion yuan in the period, up 17.3% year on year. Exports rose 14% to 17.44 trillion yuan, while imports climbed 22% to 12.69 trillion yuan, reversing a 1.6% decline recorded in the same period last year. Shenzhen posted 3.42 trillion yuan in total imports and exports, up 32.8%, exceeding Shanghai by 422 billion yuan. A key change came on the import side: Shenzhen’s imports hit 1.65 trillion yuan, up 61.9%, edging past Shanghai for the first time on record, with 1.6457 trillion yuan versus 1.6449 trillion yuan. The reshuffle also highlighted strong gains from manufacturing and electronics-driven cities. Xi’an stood out with 100.4% growth, while Suzhou, Hefei, and Shenzhen also recorded sharp increases. According to the source article, cities with stronger chip and AI hardware industries were among the fastest-growing performers.
