In July 2026, Weifang Foreign Trade submitted a historic "six-month contract". According to statistics from Weifang Customs, the total import and export value of Weifang's foreign trade in the first half of this year was 206.24 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9%, breaking through the 200 billion yuan mark for the first time at the six-month milestone. Against the backdrop of rising global trade protectionism and intensifying industrial chain restructuring, this "innovation high" not only represents a digital leap, but also reflects the deep logic and strategic determination of Weifang, a manufacturing hub, in the transition to an open economy.
Double increase in quantity and quality
The significance of 200 billion yuan lies not only in the historical leap in scale, but also in the subtle qualitative change in structure.
The role of "ballast stone" in general trade is highlighted. In the first half of the year, Weifang's general trade imports and exports reached 116.76 billion yuan, an increase of 12.9%, accounting for 56.6%, higher than processing trade and bonded logistics. This means that more Weifang products are entering the international market through independent brands and channels, rather than simply outsourcing or transshipment, reflecting a substantial improvement in the international competitiveness of local enterprises. Of particular note is that processing trade has rebounded after experiencing adjustments, with a growth rate of 8.4%, indicating that Weifang still has resilience in deeply embedding itself in the global industrial chain division of labor.
The position of the private economy as the "pillar of the sky" is irreplaceable. 7037 import and export performance enterprises, with a 12.2% increase in quantity, confirm the sustained release of market vitality. Private enterprises account for 96.2% of the absolute quantity and contribute 86.5% of the import and export value, with a growth rate of 10.6%. The main force of "Weifang Manufacturing" going global is the thousands of private enterprises with keen sense of smell and flexible mechanisms. Their ability to respond quickly to the market is the foundation for Weifang's foreign trade to withstand wind and rain.
Opening a new chapter in the changing situation
The resilience of Weifang's foreign trade is highlighted in the strategic adjustment of its market layout.
The position of ASEAN as the largest trading partner has been unprecedentedly consolidated, with imports and exports reaching 58.99 billion yuan, an increase of 25.9%, and its proportion rising to 28.6%. This not only benefits from the RCEP dividend, but also stems from the deep complementarity between Weifang's industries and ASEAN's needs - the "Weifang advantages" of electromechanical products, agricultural machinery, chemical materials, etc. are precisely matched with ASEAN's infrastructure and agricultural upgrading needs.
Traditional markets and emerging markets form a "dual support". The traditional markets such as the European Union, the United States, and Japan account for a total of 20.7%, and all maintain positive growth (up 4.4%, 13.9%, and 19.6% respectively), indicating that Weifang products still have a solid foundation in developed markets. At the same time, the export growth to emerging markets such as Latin America, Africa, and India has all exceeded 11%, and the diversified market pattern of "East not shining, West shining" is accelerating, effectively hedging the risk of single market fluctuations.
Hardcore manufacturing supports the export 'basic plate'
Behind the foreign trade data is the solid foundation of Weifang's manufacturing industry. The clear structure of export commodities shows that the collective efforts of industrial clusters support growth, rather than individual enterprises fighting alone.
The performance of the 'national team' cluster is impressive. The export of power equipment was 4.37 billion yuan, an increase of 41.2%; The export of intelligent agricultural machinery reached 2.91 billion yuan, a surge of 48.2%. The export scale of the two clusters leads the national prefecture level cities, and the brand effects of "International Power City" and "Intelligent Agricultural Machinery Valley" are extending from China to the world. The export of construction machinery reached 4.32 billion yuan, an increase of 13.8%, which is linked to the demand for infrastructure.
Traditional advantageous industries are making steady progress. The export of agricultural products reached 9.09 billion yuan, an increase of 8.8%, among which the export of poultry meat increased significantly by 42.6%, demonstrating the global competitiveness of leading agricultural industrialization enterprises; The export of pesticide formulations reached 4.61 billion yuan, an increase of 35.4%, confirming the effectiveness of the chemical industry's transformation towards refinement and high added value.
200 billion is not the end
The practice of Weifang's foreign trade can be summarized as follows.
Firstly, deepening industrial cultivation and cultivating clusters are the "ballast stones" to resist wind and waves. The competition in foreign trade ultimately boils down to the competition of industrial competitiveness. Cultivating advanced manufacturing clusters with international influence is the foundation for high-quality development of foreign trade.
Secondly, the vitality of private small and medium-sized enterprises is the "capillary" of foreign trade resilience. The extensive participation of more than 7000 physical enterprises in the city has formed a situation of "thousands of ships going out to sea". This highly market-oriented main structure is more risk resistant than relying on a few large enterprises.
Thirdly, diversified market layout is a "mandatory course" to cope with external uncertainty. Weifang's successful exploration of ASEAN, Latin America, Africa and other markets has proved that actively integrating into the "the Belt and Road" and RCEP regional cooperation can effectively open up new space for growth.
Looking ahead to the second half of the year, although the global economic and trade situation remains complex and severe, Weifang's foreign trade has shown sufficient determination and vitality. If we can focus on optimizing the import structure, enhancing the attractiveness of foreign investment, and promoting the coordinated development of service trade while maintaining our export advantage, we are expected to achieve new results in 2026 at a new starting point of 200 billion yuan in the first half of the year.
Breaking through 200 billion yuan in six months is not the end point, but another starting line for Weifang to integrate into the new development pattern and reshape new advantages of openness. The significance of this "half year answer sheet" lies in its proven performance: even if going against the wind, Weifang Manufacturing, with industrial foundation, market wisdom, and policy protection, can still move forward in the global storm.
