According to statistics released by Changsha Customs, the total import and export value of Hunan Province reached 396.46 billion CNY in the first three quarters of 2025. Exports totaled 238.36 billion CNY, while imports stood at 158.1 billion CNY. The province’s foreign trade growth has rebounded quarter by quarter, registering four consecutive months of positive growth from June to September, with year-on-year increases of 14.4 percent, 1 percent, 0.9 percent, and 2.9 percent, respectively.

In the first three quarters, 7825 enterprises across Hunan Province engaged in import and export activities, representing a 7.5 percent year-on-year increase. Among them, 3120 were manufacturing firms, contributing 49.3 percent of the province’s total trade. Driven by a series of national and provincial policies to stabilize foreign trade, imports and exports of manufacturing enterprises increased by 8.6 percent in the third quarter. Major exporters such as BYD Changsha, Lens Technology, SANY Heavy Industry, China Railway Construction Heavy Industry, Hualing Xianggang Group, and HKC Optoelectronics all recorded robust growth.

Hunan’s trade with 118 countries and regions expanded during the same period, with 14 trading partners exceeding 10 billion CNY in trade volume. From the perspective of emerging markets, Hunan’s imports and exports with ASEAN, Africa, and the Middle East reached 73.83 billion CNY, 44.52 billion CNY , and 24.84 billion CNY, up 11 percent, 19.4 percent, and 1.8 percent, respectively. Hunan’s trade with Africa remained the largest among all central and western provinces.

The export structure continued to improve, with a steady rise in the technological and value-added content of export goods. In the first three quarters, exports of mechanical and electronic products reached 137.77 billion CNY, up 3.2 percent, accounting for 57.8 percent of total exports. Exports of automobiles (including chassis) stood at 23.8 billion CNY, up 17.6 percent. Exports of “new three” products of electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products reached CNY 13.91 billion, soaring 77.4 percent year-on-year.

Exports of high-tech products, closely linked to the development of new-quality productive forces, increased by 28 percent, raising their share to 12.2 percent of total exports. High-end equipment, such as rail transit and specialized machinery, saw exports climb by 31 percent. Additionally, exports of construction machinery, steel, fireworks, and lighters amounted to 25.57 billion CNY, 14.07 billion CNY, 3.71 billion CNY, and 1.76 billion CNY, up 7.6 percent, 26.5 percent, 6.1 percent, and 27.2 percent, respectively.

By Su Li