East China's Shandong province has achieved positive results in foreign trade, totaling 3.53 trillion yuan ($507.18 billion), a 4.5 percent year-on-year increase. This represented 7.8 percent of the country's annual revenue in this sector, contributing 9.1 percent to national growth.

The structure of the province's exports has fundamentally transformed over the past decade. In 2025, exports of mechanical and electrical products exceeded 1 trillion yuan for the first time, with 105 specific products ranking first in China by export value. Ten items, including diesel trucks and concrete mixers, commanded over 10 percent of the global export share. Meanwhile, traditional strengths like agricultural and textile exports remained solid.

Market diversification provided key resilience. Shandong traded with over 250 countries and regions in 2025, 64.1 percent of which was with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over half of the province's vehicle exports went to Africa.

In addition to market diversification, deep integration with the local industry value chain is crucial. In 2025, over half of Shandong's exports to BRI countries were intermediate goods, with key sectors like machinery parts seeing double-digit growth. With the push of BRI construction, contracted project exports saw a 63.2 percent increase. The province has evolved from commodity exports to a key participant in global industry value chains.

Shandong's private sector also showed full vitality. A record 80,500 foreign trade enterprises operated in the province, a 9.7 percent increase. Private enterprises were the crucial driver, contributing 105.9 percent of the total foreign trade growth. Strong policy support, including streamlined government services, also boosted business confidence.

This performance demonstrates Shandong's successful industrial upgrade and global market integration, serving as a stable pillar for China's economy.