BEIJING - China’s imports grew by nearly 20 percent in the first quarter of 2026, with the growth rate 7.7 percentage points higher than the country’s exports in the same period.

Global Times quoted the General Administration of Customs (GAC) as saying that China’s foreign trade in goods jumped by 15 percent to reach 11.84 trillion yuan ($1.73 trillion) in the first three months.

Exports reached 6.85 trillion yuan in the first quarter, up 11.9 percent year-on-year, while imports totalled 4.99 trillion yuan, with the growth rate accelerating to 19.6 percent.

Industrial production continued to accelerate, driving growth in raw material imports. In the first quarter, the combined import volume of energy products and metal ores increased by 9.4 percent.

The import value of textiles, computer parts and electronic components rose by 39.3 percent, 45.3 percent and 37.9 percent, respectively.

In addition, consumer goods imports rebounded as the effects of pro-consumption policies continued to emerge. In the first quarter, imports of consumer goods grew by 5.4 percent, enriching market supply.