Taicang, a county-level city in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, has maintained a strong upward trajectory in terms of foreign trade over the past five years.

According to Taicang Customs, the city achieved a fifth consecutive year of stellar performance with total trade value hitting 118.79 billion yuan ($17.11 billion) in 2025. Of that, exports reached 73.45 billion yuan, and imports stood at 45.34 billion yuan.

A panoramic view of Taicang Port. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]

Taicang's active import-export enterprise count rose to 2,166, up 119 from the previous year. Among them, 1,243 firms reported growth in trade volumes, accounting for 57.4 percent of the total.

General trade retained its dominance, contributing 73 percent of total foreign trade, valued at 86.77 billion yuan. Processing trade, however, emerged as a key driver, surging 14.2 percent year-on-year to 20.86 billion yuan.

Private enterprises continued to thrive, with their trade volume expanding 8.1 percent to 50.47 billion yuan, representing 42.5 percent of the city's total.

Meanwhile, trade with Belt and Road countries remained resilient at 58.63 billion yuan, a 2.6 percent year-on-year increase. Emerging markets also showed promise, with Latin America and Africa trade growing 0.9 percent and 45.8 percent, respectively, to 9.73 billion yuan and 3.56 billion yuan.

High-end equipment manufacturing, led by mechanical and electrical products, dominated exports, equivalent to 72.4 percent of the total. Ship, motorcycle, and machinery exports posted notable gains, further underscoring Taicang's industrial strength.