According to statistics from Harbin Customs, in the first eight months of 2026, Heilongjiang Province’s total foreign trade volume reached US$34.6 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 11.1 per cent. This data was reported by Dongbeiwang, a partner of TV BRICS.
It is reported that the key drivers of this growth were cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road route, with trade with these nations totalling US$31.9 billion (up 13.3 per cent), and trade with BRICS countries totalling US$28.2 billion (up 11.9 per cent).
Other channels of foreign economic activity also expanded significantly. During this period, the value of cross-border small-scale wholesale trade reached US$3 billion (up 17.4 per cent year-on-year), whilst the value of bonded logistics operations nearly doubled, reaching US$641 million (up 93.3 per cent year-on-year).
Heihe City, as a key air and land gateway to Russia’s Far East, performed particularly well. From January to August, the city’s foreign trade turnover reached US$4.8 billion, up 9.3 per cent year-on-year, approaching last year’s full-year figure.
In terms of export structure, mechanical and electrical products, agricultural products and labour-intensive products all showed steady growth. Exports of motor vehicles (including chassis) increased by 61.9 per cent compared with the previous year, with the share of new energy vehicle exports continuing to expand.