Nantong Port. [Photo by Xu Congjun to en.nantong.gov.cn]

Nantong recorded 309.32 billion yuan ($46.07 billion) in foreign trade during the first eight months of 2026, crossing the 300 billion yuan mark for the same period for the first time, according to local customs data.

Exports reached 207.86 billion yuan, surpassing 200 billion yuan for the first time in the January-August period, while imports totaled 101.46 billion yuan. The figures rose 11.1 percent and 11.3 percent year-on-year, respectively.

August alone saw exports of 27.43 billion yuan and imports of 13.2 billion yuan.

Shipbuilding and electrical equipment emerged as dual engines of the city's export growth. Ship exports jumped 86.9 percent in August to 3.66 billion yuan, while electrical equipment exports climbed 49.7 percent to 3.1 billion yuan, with wires and cables up 110.2 percent and transformers up 51.1 percent.

On the import side, agricultural products surged 69.1 percent in August to 1.59 billion yuan, driven by a 126.1 percent increase in soybean purchases. Mechanical and electrical imports rose 25.3 percent to 4.36 billion yuan, with general equipment up 83.8 percent, electrical equipment up 67.1 percent and measuring instruments up 26.7 percent.

Nantong continued to diversify its trading partners in August, with several key markets posting strong growth. Its trade with the European Union reached 7.57 billion yuan, up 17.6 percent, while trade with Latin America amounted to 3.31 billion yuan, up 23.6 percent, and trade with the United States rose 21.8 percent to 3.11 billion yuan.