Core conclusions:The "China Green Trade Development Report (2026)" shows that in 2025, my country's green trade import and export will be US$802.251 billion, ranking first in the world; the import and export of the "three new products" of electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaics increased by 40% year-on-year; The export of mechanical and electrical products was 12.91 trillion yuan, an increase of 21.9%, accounting for 64% of the total export value, and has been growing for 18 consecutive months. The conclusion is very straightforward: green is no longer a bonus for companies, but a screening item for overseas customers when placing orders. If factories still want to "make money first and then transform", they will be excluded from the list of qualified suppliers first.
The distribution of growth is also worth noting. During the same period, imports and exports of integrated circuits increased by 68.1% year-on-year, computers and parts increased by 60.5%, automobile exports increased by 47.1%, ships increased by 29.8%, and industrial robot exports increased by 13%(General Administration of Customs of China）。Put it on a larger plate and see it more clearly: in the first eight months, my country's import and export of goods trade was 34.78 trillion yuan, an increase of 17.6%, of which exports were 20.17 trillion yuan, an increase of 14.6%(CCTV News）。Green and high-end manufacturing are the two fastest segments of this growth curve.
1. What exactly does green trade cover
Many factories understand "green" as a slogan or a certificate, but it is not. Green trade covers at least three types of content: first, the green attributes of the product itself, such as energy-saving, low-carbon, recyclable, and free of specific harmful substances; second, the greening of the production process, such as energy consumption management, waste recycling, and clean production; Third, the technologies and equipment that support the first two, such as new energy equipment, environmentally friendly materials, testing and certification services.
The report shows that my country's green trade import and export in 2025 will be US$802.251 billion, ranking first in the world, indicating that this track already has enough transaction volume. The significance for the factory is that green demand is no longer the preference of a few high-end customers, but has formed a mainstream demand for large-scale procurement.
2. A table to see green and high-growth categories
| category | year-on-year change | description |
|---|---|---|
| Green Trade Import and Export (2025) | Ranked first in the world in scale | US$802.251 billion |
| "Three New Products" Import and Export | Year-on-year increase of 40% | Electric vehicles, lithium batteries, photovoltaic |
| export of mechanical and electrical products | Increase by 21.9% | 12.91 trillion yuan, accounting for 64% of total exports |
| Integrated circuit import and export | Increase by 68.1% | Technology-intensive categories |
| auto exports | Increase by 47.1% | Strong driving ability of the industrial chain |
Sort this table by growth rate and you will find that the fastest are the categories with the strongest technical and green attributes. The direction for factories to select customers and categories is on this sorting line.
3. The new three products have increased by 40%. What orders can the supporting factories take?
The import and export of the "three new products" increased by 40% year-on-year. The direct beneficiaries are the complete machine factories, but orders will spread upstream and downstream.
- Structural parts and hardware:Photovoltaic brackets, battery pack shells, energy storage cabinet sheet metal, and charging pile shells are all typical sheet metal and die castings.
- Wiring harnesses and connectors:The demand for high-voltage wiring harnesses and connectors for new energy equipment is significantly higher than that for traditional equipment.
- Heat dissipation and thermal management:Liquid cold plates, radiators, and pipelines are necessary for energy storage and charging equipment.
- Packaging and logistics equipment:Battery transportation has clear packaging and protection requirements, and special packaging boxes and trays are stable supporting requirements.
If you want to receive these orders, the prerequisite is that your craftsmanship and certification can keep up. Overseas customers 'requirements for traceability and material compliance for new energy accessories are usually one level stricter than traditional categories. This is the threshold and a moat.
4. Green signals in the 140th QHG 0Q
At the 140th QHG 0Q, green products accounted for 26% and new products accounted for 23.2%, both reaching record highs;64% of exhibitors have integrated the industrial Internet and AI into the production and supply chain (Source:QHG 0Q related reports）。
Green products account for 26% which means that every time buyers walk around the exhibition hall, one in every four booths will feature green. If factories cannot produce verifiable green selling points-energy consumption data, material testing reports, and recycling plans, they will be at a disadvantage in the first round of screening.
5. Three realistic paths to transformation
Path 1: Make "provable green" first.Collate the energy consumption and material data of existing products and make up for the testing and certification that can be obtained. This is the step with the least investment and the fastest effect.
Path 2: Cut into the supporting chain of green equipment.Instead of making complete machines, we make structural parts, wiring harnesses, thermal management, and packaging equipment, and use existing production capacity to receive orders for new tracks.
Path 3: Make green a product selling point.For markets with strict carbon and environmental requirements, write quantitative data on green attributes into product pages and quotation documents, and directly participate in customers 'compliance evaluation.
6. Two risks that must be dealt with in advance
- EU tariff costs:The EU's countervailing duties of 7.8% to 35.3% on pure electric vehicles on China have taken effect. For factories in related categories, we must re-calculate the landing costs in the destination country, and first ask the tax range borne by the customer before quoting.
- US Import Qualification Review:The United States has strictly investigated the qualifications of IOR importers since September 18. If the information on Form 5106 is inaccurate, it will be directly invalid and numbered. For orders going through the U.S. line, you must confirm that the importer's qualifications are completely consistent with the declaration information.
These two items are not "talk about it later" matters. They will directly determine whether the goods can be cleared smoothly and whether the order will be returned.
7. Three issues that factory owners are most concerned about
Question 1: My products are not related to new energy. Do I need to care about green trade?
needed. In 2025, my country's green trade import and export will be US$802.251 billion, ranking first in the world. Behind this volume is the overall upward shift in procurement standards. Even if you are working in traditional categories, overseas customers are beginning to require material testing reports and energy consumption data, and if you can't get them, you will be directly selected by suppliers.
Question 2: Does transformation mean buying new equipment and investing a lot of money?
Not necessarily. The first step for most factories is to explain clearly what they have: energy consumption data, material composition, recyclable proportions, and production process records. These are data work, not equipment investment. Only when the customer clearly requires a certain certification or a certain process, and then makes targeted investment will the money be spent on the cutting edge.
Question 3: Is it still too late to cut into new energy facilities now?
There is time, but you have to choose subdivision. The export of mechanical and electrical products was 12.91 trillion yuan, an increase of 21.9%, and has been growing for 18 consecutive months; the import and export of the "three new products" increased by 40%, and the industrial chain is still expanding. Competition in the complete machine is fierce, and supporting links such as structural parts, wiring harnesses, thermal management, and packaging are more friendly to the factory's flexible production capacity.
8. Conclusion and action recommendations
Green trade is US$802.251 billion, ranking first in the world in scale. The "three new products" have increased by 40%, and exports of mechanical and electrical products account for 64% and have increased for 18 consecutive months. These three figures point in the same direction: procurement standards in overseas markets are moving towards Green and technology-intensive tilt. One thing the factory can do now: organize a page of "green files" for each of its three main products, write out materials, energy consumption, certification and recycling plans, and use it to respond to customers 'first round of inquiries. If you want to evaluate your factory's overseas plans, you can contact Qihang AI (telephone 180-0327-6609).
This article was written by Qihang Zhilian Trade Research Institute and was released on September 27, 2026. The data is as of the latest release of General Administration of Customs of China.
