BEIJING, 29th September, 2026 (WAM) -- China's logistics sector posted steady growth in the first eight months of 2026, driven by resilient logistics demand and continuous improvements in infrastructure, industry data showed Tuesday.
The total value of social logistics, a measure of the value of goods moving through the logistics system, reached 243.6 trillion yuan (US$36.3 trillion) from January to August, up 4.9 percent year-on-year (YoY), China Central Television (CCTV) reported, citing data from the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.
On the demand side, industrial logistics remained stable. From January to August, the total value of industrial product logistics rose 5.3 percent YoY, with August alone posting a 4.9 percent increase, 0.4 percentage points faster than the previous month.
New growth drivers played a significantly stronger role in fueling logistics demand. In August, the value-added of high-tech manufacturing and digital product manufacturing grew by 16.7 percent and 15.7 percent, respectively, together contributing over 60 percent to the growth of industrial enterprises above the designated size, which refer to companies whose annual revenue from principal business reaches or surpasses 20 million yuan (about $2.98).
Meanwhile, August output for robot reducers and industrial robots rose by 11.4 percent and 34.6 percent, respectively. The rapid production growth of high-value, time-sensitive goods helped drive a surge in demand for raw materials and components.
On the supply side, the logistics market continued to expand steadily. Multimodal transport was promoted at an accelerated pace. In the first eight months, the volume of rail-water intermodal transport handled by China Railway Container Transport grew 8.6 percent YoY while rail-road intermodal transport surged 65.5 percent.
International transport corridors also expanded in both capacity and quality. From January to August, a total of 24,605 freight trains were operated on China-Europe and China-Central Asia routes, up 9.7 percent YoY, with China-Europe services alone rising 15.9 percent.
"The construction of comprehensive logistics hubs and several major logistics service engineering systems is accelerating. At the same time, investment in water and air transport has maintained double-digit growth, driving sustained improvements in the transport capacity of various modes, including shipping and railways. This has made logistics operations and connectivity smoother, ensuring unimpeded industrial circulation," said Liu Yuhang, Director of the China Logistics Information Centre.