From January to April 2026, the total export volume of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture reached 700 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 81.7%, and the growth rate ranked first in Hunan Province.
This growth rate is 13.6 times the average export growth rate of Hunan Province (6%) during the same period, far exceeding traditional foreign trade cities such as Changsha (3.9%) and Yueyang (-0.3%).
From the Wuling Mountain District, which has long relied on the export of primary mineral products, to the “dark horse” of the province’s foreign trade growth, the data changes in Xiangxi Prefecture outline a clear path for industrial upgrading.
Previously, although Xiangxi Prefecture was rich in manganese ore resources, its exports had long been dominated by primary mineral products, with low added value and weak risk resistance.
The turning point of transformation is reflected in the composition of export commodities: in the first four months of 2026, lithium-ion batteries were exported 260 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 143.6%; manganese and its products, and manganese nitride were exported 300 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 138.2%.
These two types of high-tech products together account for 80% of the state’s total exports, completely replacing the core position of primary mineral products.
New manganese materials have demonstrated strong global competitiveness.
Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture Fengda Alloy Technology Co., Ltd., a leading enterprise, has built the world’s largest manganese nitride production line, and its manganese nitride products have the largest market share in the world.
The company took the lead in formulating a national standard and has 60 authorized patents. The manganese-aluminum alloy products it developed have filled the domestic gap.
In the first quarter of 2026, the output value of the manganese industry in Xiangxi Prefecture increased by 41.03% year-on-year.
New energy energy storage batteries are also ushering in an explosion.
Huamei Xingtai Company in Xiangxi High-tech Zone has 25 smart production lines operating at full capacity. Because its home energy storage batteries accurately match the needs of Europe’s energy transformation, its export growth rate to the Netherlands and Germany has exceeded 400%, and orders have been scheduled for the second half of the year.
The company masters core technologies such as lithium iron phosphate energy storage batteries, and its products have passed international certifications such as UL and CE and are sold to 28 countries and regions.
Behind the industrial data is a set of quantitative assessment service systems.
Since 2022, the Xiangxi Prefecture Commerce Bureau has implemented the “Double Hundred Action”, organizing more than 160 cadres at most to contact and serve more than 360 companies, and innovating the “4×4” work method to introduce KPI quantitative assessment.
Various counties and cities have developed special models such as “corporate secretary” and “gold medal project steward”.
From January to April 2026, this mechanism promoted the number of foreign trade performance companies in the state to 39, an increase of 10 compared with the same period in 2025.
Policy support directly translates into R&D motivation for enterprises.
Hunan Province provides financial subsidies of 8% – 12% for the incremental investment in R&D of enterprises, and a single enterprise can receive up to 10 million yuan.
Under this incentive, the province will distribute nearly 500 million yuan in such incentives and subsidies to enterprises in 2025.
For Xiangxi Prefecture, provincial policies clearly support the construction of characteristic industrial clusters such as manganese-based new materials and vanadium energy storage, and promote the establishment of a national-level high-tech zone in Xiangxi High-tech Zone.
In addition to the “two-wheel drive”, Xiangxi Prefecture has opened up a new growth curve based on its own resource endowments.
In the first quarter of 2026, the state’s agricultural exports increased by 81.9% year-on-year, of which sturgeon caviar exports surged by 677.4% and tea exports increased by 51.8%.
Intangible cultural and creative products are also going global. Miao embroidery products from Shibadong Village are exported to Germany, Austria and other countries. The annual output value exceeds 20 million yuan, driving more than 500 women to increase their average monthly income by more than 1,500 yuan.
The market structure also shows a trend of diversification and consolidation.
In the first quarter, Xiangxi Prefecture maintained economic and trade exchanges with 60 countries and regions around the world.
Among them, the import and export volume to the EU reached 260 million yuan, a significant increase of 278.3%, becoming the largest market; the import and export volume to Africa also increased by 40.8%.
The “Hunan Products Going Overseas” campaign launched by the European Union Hunan Chamber of Commerce and other organizations is helping Xiangxi products further expand into the European market through China-Europe freight trains and cross-border e-commerce.
The high growth of foreign trade in Xiangxi Prefecture is based on the industrial structure that is differentiated from other cities and states in the province.
Unlike Changsha, which focuses on mechanical and electrical products, and Yueyang, which relies on imports, Xiangxi Prefecture has formed a characteristic export industry cluster of manganese-based new materials + new energy storage relying on mineral resources, building global competitiveness in niche areas.
At the same time, the overseas export of specialty agricultural products and intangible cultural and creative products has added unique “green” and “cultural” added value.
However, high growth also comes with challenges that need to be addressed on an ongoing basis.
Due to the geographical conditions of Wuling Mountain, the cost and timeliness of international logistics are still bottlenecks. Companies are coping with this by building their own overseas warehouses (such as Xiangxi Bairun in Russia).
When specialty agricultural products and intangible cultural heritage products go overseas, they face obstacles such as complex international certification and cultural differences. They require “hands-on” compliance guidance from the government and the continuous construction of branding and standardization.
Xiangxi Prefecture’s export data has drawn a steep upward curve in the first four months of 2026, but its sustainability will depend on whether technological innovation can continue to iterate and whether unique advantages can be further consolidated in the global value chain.
