Xu Ningning: China and ASEAN led the way in trade growth in the first ten months, and RCEP dividends continued to amplify

China News Service, Beijing, November 10 (Reporter Liu Wenwen) The General Administration of Customs released national import and export trade statistics for the first 10 months of 2026 on the 10th. Xu Ningning, chief business expert of China and ASEAN, accepted an interview with the media that day to interpret the economic and trade growth trend between China and ASEAN and analyze the effectiveness of RCEP regional cooperation.

Since the beginning of this year, the import and export pattern of my country's major trading partners has been steadily optimized. According to data from the General Administration of Customs, in the first 10 months, the total trade value between my country and ASEAN was 7.68 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 24.2%; the total trade value between my country and the European Union was 5.29 trillion yuan, an increase of 8.5%; the total trade value between my country and the United States was 3.59 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.3%.

Xu Ningning said that the growth rate of my country's trade with ASEAN is much higher than that of the EU and the United States, and its performance is outstanding among my country's major economic and trade partners, demonstrating the strong vitality of regional economic and trade cooperation.

Currently, global trade is recovering slowly, external market demand is generally weak, trade protectionism continues to spread, and the international supply chain pattern is fluctuating and adjusting. Under this external environment, trade between China and ASEAN has maintained a double-digit rapid growth, providing solid support for the smooth operation of the country's foreign trade.

He pointed out that the bilateral trade structure between China and ASEAN continues to be optimized, and the industrial complementarity is significant. my country mainly exports mechanical and electrical products, new energy equipment, intelligent terminals, general machinery and equipment and other industrial products to ASEAN. It mainly imports natural rubber, palm oil, tropical agricultural products, new energy mineral raw materials and other products from ASEAN. Relying on the RCEP origin accumulation rules, regional industrial and supply chains have become more closely linked, and trade in intermediate goods has become more frequent.

Xu Ningning analyzed that the RCEP area has become a sector with high economic and trade development activity in the world. The construction of version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, the implementation of RCEP rules and the construction of the New Land-Sea Corridor have a superimposed effect, continuously reducing trade costs, improving customs clearance efficiency, and effectively hedging the downward pressure on the external market.

He also admitted frankly that there are still weak links in regional economic and trade cooperation. Many small, medium and micro enterprises have insufficient understanding and application of RCEP-related rules. There are differences in industrial standards and regulatory norms among countries in the region, and there is still room for improvement in cross-border logistics synergy.

Based on the current cooperation situation, he proposed three promotion measures. First, carry out regular publicity and popularization of RCEP policies, simplify the application process for certificates of origin, and guide the majority of small, medium and micro enterprises to fully enjoy the policy dividends.

The second is to deepen cooperation in emerging fields such as new energy, digital economy, green and low-carbon, cultivate new drivers of foreign trade growth, and promote the quality and upgrading of bilateral industrial cooperation.

The third is to improve the layout of cross-border logistics channels, promote the integration of port customs clearance, deepen the two-way docking of industry and investment, and promote the coordinated development of goods trade and industrial integration.

Xu Ningning emphasized that ASEAN has long been my country's largest trading partner. As the level of regional connectivity continues to improve and industrial collaboration continues to deepen, the solid advantages of economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN will be further highlighted, continuing to inject momentum into regional economic stability and global trade recovery.