A cargo vessel berths at the Yongzhou container terminal in the Jintang port area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, Zhejiang province, on May 3, 2026. [Photo/IC]

Zhejiang's economy continued to show steady improvement in April, with foreign trade, private enterprises, and upgraded consumer spending providing support, according to data released by the Zhejiang Provincial Bureau of Statistics on May 21.

The province's imports and exports reached 1.86 trillion yuan ($273.62 billion) in the first four months of the year, up 6.7 percent year-on-year.

Private enterprises remained the main driver, accounting for 82.2 percent of Zhejiang's total foreign trade and contributing 6.5 percentage points to overall import and export growth during the period.

The export structure also continued to shift toward higher-tech and greener products. Mechanical and electrical products accounted for nearly half of the province's exports, while combined exports of electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar cells jumped 53.7 percent year-on-year.

Retail sales of consumer goods in Zhejiang rose 1.6 percent year-on-year in April, with signs of stronger demand for upgraded consumer products.

Retail sales of wearable smart devices rose 1.6-fold, while sales of smartphones, cosmetics, and other higher-quality consumer goods posted double-digit growth. Online consumption maintained relatively fast growth, rising 8.7 percent.