Yiwu, the eastern Chinese city known as "the world's supermarket," achieved a record foreign trade value of 173.56 billion yuan (25.2 billion U.S. dollars) in the first two months of 2026, a significant 52.8 percent increase over the same period of the previous year.

In the two-month period, the growth rates of both imports and exports of the city exceeded 50 percent.

In the January-February period, Yiwu's global trade partnerships expanded to include 222 other countries and regions, adding nine more compared to the same period of last year.

Africa became Yiwu's largest trade market during the period, with trade to the continent rising by 84.7 percent year on year, accounting for 20.4 percent of the city's total foreign trade value.

Among the major trading partners, Yiwu experienced the fastest import and export growth with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which surged by 99 percent year on year. Additionally, Yiwu's imports from and exports to Latin America and the EU grew by 34 percent and 64.6 percent year on year, respectively.

In the first two months of 2026, the city's trade with other countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative totaled 124.43 billion yuan (18 billion U.S. dollars), an increase of 59.5 percent year on year, accounting for over 70 percent of Yiwu's total foreign trade value for the same period.