General Administration of Customs responds to trade surplus: We will continue to actively expand imports to promote the balanced development of imports and exports.

On the morning of July 14, the State Council Information Office held a press conference on the import and export of goods in the first half of 2026. A media reporter asked on the spot: China's trade surplus is causing concerns among trade partners, with the strongest being the European Union. How do you view the changes in China's trade surplus for the remainder of this year? In addition, China has proposed "upward balance" as a way to resolve trade tensions with the European Union. Does this term mean importing more from EU countries? Could you explain what this means? Lu Daliang, spokesperson for the General Administration of Customs and director of the Statistics Analysis Department, replied, "Regarding China's trade balance, I would like to point out that China's foreign trade has the characteristic of large in and large out. We are not only the world's largest exporter, but also the world's second largest importer. The data for the first half of this year shows that our imports have grown faster than exports, resulting in a 4.7% narrowing of the trade surplus. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we will continue to actively expand imports and promote balanced development of imports and exports. Regarding the question you mentioned about 'upward balance,' China and the EU have established a regular exchange mechanism in the economic and trade fields, which is the China-EU trade investment negotiation mechanism. Recently, this mechanism held its first meeting during which the issue of 'upward balance' was discussed. I suggest you inquire with the relevant department for specific details.