Tianjin Port. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Tianjin's foreign trade continued to gain momentum in the first half of 2026, with total imports and exports reaching 405.9 billion yuan ($59.93 billion), up 2.4 percent year-on-year, according to Tianjin Customs.

Exports rose 9.2 percent to 226.6 billion yuan, while private and State-owned enterprises remained key drivers of growth. Private companies recorded 186.97 billion yuan in imports and exports, up 5.5 percent, while State-owned enterprises contributed 38.34 billion yuan, an increase of 1.1 percent. Together, they accounted for more than half of the city's total foreign trade.

General trade remained the dominant trade mode, accounting for 56 percent of the total, with imports and exports rising 5.4 percent to 227.23 billion yuan. Bonded logistics also posted strong growth, climbing 9.9 percent to 63.98 billion yuan.

Mechanical and electrical products continued to lead Tianjin's exports, totaling 148.57 billion yuan and making up nearly two-thirds of the city's exports. Shipments of electronic components, aircraft, auto parts, computers and related products all increased, while lithium-ion battery exports surged 156.2 percent, providing a major boost to export growth.

On the import side, energy products soared 372.1 percent year-on-year. Imports of molybdenum ore and concentrates reached 2.72 billion yuan, ranking first in China and accounting for 37.5 percent of the country's total imports of the commodity.