Shanghai's foreign trade expanded steadily in 2025, with exports posting double-digit growth amid global headwinds, customs data showed.

Total imports and exports rose 5.6% from a year earlier to 4.51 trillion yuan. Exports climbed 10.8% to 2.02 trillion yuan, while imports increased 1.8% to 2.49 trillion yuan. All three figures were record highs.

Export growth remained broadly stable through the year, with quarterly increases of around 10%, the data showed.

Trade expanded with 167 countries and regions, with shipments to emerging markets including Africa, India and Southeast Asia recording double-digit growth. The number of trading partners with annual trade exceeding 10 billion yuan rose to 49.

New trade formats continued to expand, with cross-border e-commerce and bonded maintenance services recording rapid growth.

Exports of the so-called "new three" — electric vehicles, lithium batteries and solar products — rose to 156.67 billion yuan. Electric vehicle exports exceeded 100 billion yuan for the first time, with shipments of hybrid models up nearly 1.5 times from a year earlier.

Other advanced manufacturing exports also increased. Shipments of high-end machine tools rose nearly 30%, industrial robot exports climbed more than 40%, and surgical robot exports jumped 3.7-fold.

Trade handled through Shanghai's free trade and bonded zones reached 1.87 trillion yuan, up 9.4% year on year and accounting for more than 40% of the city's total, customs data showed.