Pudong reports record growth in trade and FDI for 2025

A night view of Pudong New Area. [Photo/VCG] 

Shanghai's Pudong New Area unveiled its 2026 government work report on Jan 21, showcasing impressive growth in foreign trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2025.

In 2025, Pudong's foreign trade in goods and services soared to 2.76 trillion yuan ($399 billion), marking a 5.9 percent year-on-year increase. Its trade with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries rose 14.2 percent, while cross-border e-commerce imports and exports surged 14.4 percent year-on-year. Pudong International Airport's cargo and mail throughput exceeded 4 million metric tons, and port container throughput reached 50.11 million TEUs.

FDI remained robust, with the district attracting over $47 billion in actual foreign investment during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), marking a 14.3 percent increase from the previous five-year period.

In 2025, 23 new regional headquarters of multinational corporations were established, bringing the total number of various headquarters added during the period to 251. The district secured 453 key investment projects, totaling 303.2 billion yuan in investment, exceeding the municipal target.

The district also saw strong growth in overseas business. In 2025, it established a comprehensive service center for enterprises seeking global expansion, bringing together 93 professional service institutions with a network covering 270 cities worldwide.

For 2026, Pudong aims to attract 100 new headquarters enterprises and secure over $7.5 billion in actualized FDI, emphasizing efforts to attract more Asia-Pacific and international headquarters and to accelerate the landing of major foreign-invested projects.