Rugao saw a record 38.91 billion yuan ($5.64 billion) in total foreign trade in 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of 10.7 percent.

Exports reached 28.74 billion yuan, up 12.2 percent from the previous year, while imports totaled 10.17 billion yuan, rising 6.8 percent.

General trade remained the dominant form of trade, accounting for 28.12 billion yuan, or 72.3 percent of the city's total foreign trade, an increase of 6 percent year-on-year. Processing trade also saw strong growth, reaching 9.92 billion yuan, up 29.6 percent and representing 25.5 percent of the total, 3.7 percentage points higher than the previous year.

Private enterprises continued to serve as the main drivers of Rugao's foreign trade. Their imports and exports totaled 22.07 billion yuan, up 6.2 percent and accounting for 56.7 percent of the city's total. Foreign-invested enterprises also posted notable growth, with trade reaching 16.15 billion yuan, an increase of 26 percent and making up 41.5 percent of the total.

Trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative expanded steadily. In 2025, trade with these markets reached 20.06 billion yuan, up 11.1 percent and representing 51.6 percent of the city's total. Trade with ASEAN countries surged 24.7 percent to 9.81 billion yuan, while trade with the European Union rose 18 percent to 6.98 billion yuan.

Mechanical and electrical products played a key role in driving export growth. Exports of such products reached 14.8 billion yuan, up 36.1 percent and accounting for 51.5 percent of the city's total exports. Ship exports alone totaled 2.84 billion yuan, soaring 332.9 percent, while exports of electrical equipment reached 570 million yuan, up 103.8 percent.

On the import side, major commodities such as agricultural products, pulp, and mechanical and electrical products recorded steady growth. Together they totaled 7.39 billion yuan, accounting for 72.6 percent of the city's imports. Meanwhile, imports of auto parts rose sharply to 330 million yuan, a surge of more than thirteenfold compared with the previous year.