Guangdong's foreign trade reached 5.49 trillion yuan in the first half of 2026, surpassing the 5-trillion-yuan mark for the first time in any first-half period, according to the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the General Administration of Customs of China. The figure represented a year-on-year increase of 20.8% and accounted for 21.6% of China's total foreign trade. Guangdong's trade value increased by 944.71 billion yuan, contributing 25.6% of the country's overall foreign trade growth. The province ranked first nationwide in its share of total trade, incremental trade value and contribution to growth. Of the total, exports rose 11.6% to 3.22 trillion yuan, while imports surged 36.8% to 2.27 trillion yuan. In June alone, Guangdong's monthly foreign trade exceeded 1 trillion yuan for the first time on record.

Monthly trade figures repeatedly reached new highs. Guangdong's monthly foreign trade topped 900 billion yuan for the first time in January. New monthly records were then set for three consecutive months in April, May and June. In June alone, the province's imports and exports totaled 1.05 trillion yuan, marking the first time its monthly trade value had exceeded the 1-trillion-yuan threshold.

Solid progress was made in market diversification. Guangdong maintained trade relations with 252 countries and regions in the first half of the year. Trade with emerging markets continued to expand. The province's trade with ASEAN and Latin America reached 857.42 billion yuan and 277.35 billion yuan, respectively. The benefits of zero-tariff treatment for all 53 African countries with diplomatic ties to China continued to materialize. Trade between Guangdong and Africa climbed 23.3% to a record 178.44 billion yuan. Among traditional markets, Guangdong's trade with Hong Kong, China; the European Union; the United States; and South Korea stood at 829.93 billion yuan, 579.93 billion yuan, 487.48 billion yuan, and 307.02 billion yuan, respectively.

Guangdong's exports are becoming increasingly technology-intensive and green. Guangdong exported 2.27 trillion yuan worth of mechanical and electrical products in the first half of the year, an increase of 16%. These products accounted for more than 70% of the province's total export value. Exports of integrated circuits surged 61.4% to 266.7 billion yuan, while exports of computers and their components rose 14.6% to 246.12 billion yuan. Guangdong's high-end manufacturing sector demonstrated strong international competitiveness. Exports of drones, high-end machine tools and industrial robots grew by 24.6%, 20.1% and 16.8%, respectively. Exports of green and low-carbon products also delivered an impressive performance, with exports of lithium batteries and electric vehicles rising by 42.7% and 35.3%, respectively.