China-SCO trade hits record high as cooperation deepens

China's trade volume with fellow Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members reached a record high in the first seven months of this year, data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed on Aug 20.

From January to July, China's total imports and exports with other SCO members reached 2.11 trillion yuan ($295.58 billion), marking a 3-percent increase year-on-year, according to GAC.

Notably, China's trade with fellow SCO members surged 8.5 percent to 326.05 billion yuan in July, marking the highest monthly value and growth rate so far this year.

Agricultural trade has been a bright spot. China's exports of agricultural machinery and pesticide formulations to SCO partners jumped 47.8 percent and 30.3 percent, respectively, while its imports of their agricultural products rose 6.2 percent during the seven-month period.

The SCO has steadily expanded and deepened cooperation across all sectors since its founding in 2001, driving intra-regional trade to successive record highs.

In 2024 alone, China's trade with other SCO members hit 3.65 trillion yuan, 36.3 times the level recorded when the organization was established, according to GAC data.