my country’s foreign trade will usher in a historic breakthrough in the first quarter of 2026!
The total value of imports and exports exceeded 11 trillion yuan for the first time, a year-on-year increase of 15%, and has remained above 10 trillion yuan for 12 consecutive quarters, strongly returning to double-digit growth.
On the export side, high-tech products such as 3D printers, new energy vehicles, and lithium batteries have experienced explosive growth, with mechanical and electrical products leading the foreign trade market. The import side has accelerated simultaneously, with strong demand for bulk commodities and high-tech products, and a diversified market structure has laid a solid foundation for foreign trade.
This above-expected report card hides many investment opportunities in high-prosperity tracks. The following will deeply dismantle the industry logic according to the growth rate, accurately explore the beneficial sectors and core stocks, and directly hit the golden investment outlet under the foreign trade dividend.
Ranking of foreign trade growth in the first quarter: 3D printers (119%), electric vehicles (77.5%), storage/CPU (39.1%), lithium batteries (50.4%), wind power equipment (45.2%)
It ranks among the top five in terms of export growth, corresponding to the five high-prosperity tracks of 3D printing, new energy vehicles, semiconductor storage, lithium batteries, and wind power; the growth of imported high-tech products (25.1%) and electromechanical products (21.7%) is eye-catching, which is good for semiconductor equipment, industrial motherboards and other sectors.
1. Export growth TOP list (descending order)
Category Growth rate Core logic
3D printer 119%
Overseas consumer + industrial demand explodes, China’s manufacturing cost advantage is significant
Electric vehicles 77.5% Global new energy transformation accelerates, Chinese brand competitiveness improves
Storage/CPU components 39.1% AI drives computing power demand, storage cycle goes up
Lithium batteries 50.4% Energy storage + new energy vehicle two-wheel drive
Wind turbines 45.2%
Overseas wind power installation surge, domestic substitution accelerates
Photovoltaic products (Africa) 250% African power infrastructure demand, distributed photovoltaic explosion
Digital cameras 32.7% Consumer electronics recovery, high-end model export growth
Mechanical and electrical products 18.3% Industrial upgrade + global share increase
Equipment manufacturing industry 19.2%
High-end manufacturing overseas is accelerating
2. Sector positives and core stocks
1. 3D printing (119% growth rate)
Positive logic: global manufacturing upgrades + consumer demand explosion, Chinese equipment has outstanding cost performance.
Core targets: Farsoon High-Tech (688433) (leading industrial-grade metal printing, exporting to 50+ countries), Platinum (688333) (obvious advantages in the aerospace field), JPT (laser core component supplier).
2. New energy vehicles (77.5% growth rate)
Positive logic: Market penetration in Europe and Southeast Asia has increased, and Chinese brands’ technology and cost advantages have become more prominent.
Core targets: BYD (number one in global sales, complete overseas layout), CATL (leader in power batteries, supporting overseas car companies), Top Group (increasing exports of lightweight chassis).
3. Semiconductor storage (39.1% growth rate)
Positive logic: demand for AI servers explodes, memory chip prices rebound, and domestic substitution accelerates.
Core targets: Yangtze Memory (NAND leader, speeding up overseas), Montage Technology (memory interface chip), Demingli (001309) (storage module, 2026Q1 performance is expected to increase 4659%-5383%).
4. Lithium batteries (50.4% growth rate)
Positive logic: the implementation of overseas energy storage projects + the export of new energy vehicles, driven by the export of new energy vehicles, the price of lithium has stabilized and rebounded.
Core targets: Yiwei Lithium Energy (energy storage battery export growth), Enjie Co., Ltd. (the world’s largest share of diaphragms), Tianhua New Energy (300390) (lithium salt leader, 2026Q1 performance is expected to increase by 27518%-32120%).
5. Wind power equipment (45.2% growth rate)
Positive logic: There is a surge in offshore wind power installations in Europe and Latin America, and China’s large-scale units are highly competitive.
Core targets: Goldwind Technology (top three in the world, growth in overseas orders), Mingyang Intelligent (leader in offshore wind power), Hopeng Electric (growth in exports of wind power converters).
6. Semiconductor storage (39.1% growth rate)
Positive logic: AI computing power demand + storage cycle is rising, and Chinese companies’ global share is increasing.
Core targets: Changdian Technology (leader in advanced packaging), Deep Technology (storage module manufacturing), GigaDevice (leader in NOR Flash, large volume of automotive grade products).
7. Photovoltaic (250% growth rate, African market)
Positive logic: Africa is short of power, and the demand for distributed photovoltaic + microgrids is exploding.
Core targets: LONGi Green Energy (leader in components, complete overseas channels), Sungrow (number one in inverter exports), Goodwe (energy storage inverter growth).
3. Highlights and Opportunities on the Import Side
1. High-tech products (25.1% growth rate): good for semiconductor equipment (China Microelectronics Corporation, Northern Huachuang), industrial motherboards (Kode CNC, Neway CNC), domestic industrial upgrading drives demand for equipment imports.
2. Mechanical and electrical products (21.7% growth rate): It is good for robots (Eston, Inovance Technology), high-end instruments (Concentrator Technology), and the demand for automation in the manufacturing industry is increasing.
IV. Risk Warning
1. Fluctuating situation in the Middle East: Imports and exports to the Middle East turned from increase to decrease in March, which may affect energy and chemical trade.
2. Global supply chain adjustment: Some countries are promoting “de-Chinaization” and need to pay attention to the risk of industrial transfer.
3. Exchange rate fluctuations: RMB appreciation may compress the profit margins of export companies.
Summary: 2026Q1 foreign trade data shows that high-end manufacturing, new energy, and semiconductors have become the core driving forces for exports, and related sectors will continue to benefit from the growth of global demand and the process of domestic substitution.
It is recommended to focus on leading companies with a growth rate of more than 50%, taking into account both short-term performance flexibility and long-term growth space.
(All the above information and data are for reference only and do not serve as any basis for investment)
