Nanjing has found itself in the wrong column of China’s latest foreign trade rankings. While most major cities grew in the first half of 2026, the Jiangsu capital was the only one among the national top 20 to go backwards.
南京在中国最新外贸城市榜单中，站到了不太好看的那一栏。2026年上半年，大多数主要城市实现增长，而这座江苏省会却成为全国外贸二十强中唯一出现负增长的城市。
Its total imports and exports reached ¥263.21 billion, down 3.6 percent year-on-year. That is not a collapse. But it is a signal. For a city that likes to speak in terms of innovation, software, research strength and urban ambition, the trade numbers land with an awkward thud.
南京进出口总额为¥2632.1亿元，同比下降3.6 percent。这不是崩盘。但它是一个信号。对于一座常常谈论创新、软件、科研实力和城市雄心的城市来说，这组外贸数字显得有些刺耳。
According to 36Kr, citing City Reading Studio, Nanjing’s weakness stands out because the country’s leading trade cities are mostly still climbing. Shenzhen remained first with ¥2.88 trillion in imports and exports, up 33 percent. Shanghai, Suzhou and Beijing all stayed above ¥1 trillion.
据36氪援引“城市进化论”报道，南京的疲弱之所以显眼，是因为全国主要外贸城市大多仍在增长。深圳以¥2.88万亿元进出口总额继续位居第一，同比增长33 percent。上海、苏州和北京也都保持在¥1万亿元以上。
Nanjing’s Old Engines Are Losing Speed
南京旧引擎正在放慢速度
Han Yonghui of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies said Nanjing’s slowdown reflects weak external demand and pressure from industrial restructuring. For years, the city’s export base leaned on categories such as petrochemicals and liquid crystal display panels. Those are no longer giving the same lift.
广东外语外贸大学广东国际战略研究院执行院长韩永辉认为，南京外贸放缓既受外需变化影响，也反映出产业结构调整中的压力。长期以来，南京出口基础依赖石化、液晶显示面板等品类。如今，这些板块已不再提供同样的支撑。
Newer sectors are coming, but slowly. Integrated circuits in Jiangbei New Area and AI activity in Xuanwu District are still building capacity. They may matter later. For now, they have not yet done enough to offset the drag from older industries.
新产业正在成长，但速度还不够快。江北新区的集成电路产业、玄武区的人工智能产业仍处在产能和应用爬坡阶段。它们以后会很重要。但眼下，它们还没有足够力量抵消传统产业下行带来的压力。
That makes Nanjing’s position uncomfortable rather than disastrous. The city remains rich, educated and well connected. But the first-half trade data suggests a timing problem; the old base is softening before the new one has fully arrived.
这让南京的处境更像是尴尬，而不是灾难。城市依然富裕，人才基础仍强，交通与区位条件也不错。但上半年的外贸数据说明，它正遇到一个时间差；旧基础已经转弱，新动能还没有完全接上。
Suzhou Shows What Manufacturing Depth Can Still Do
苏州证明制造业厚度依然有用
Then comes Suzhou, making the contrast harder to ignore. The city’s foreign trade reached ¥1.83 trillion in the first half of the year, up 40.9 percent, enough to overtake Beijing and move into third place nationwide.
接着就是苏州，使这种对比更难被忽略。今年上半年，苏州外贸进出口总额达到¥1.83万亿元，同比增长40.9 percent，超过北京，升至全国第三。
Wuxi also had a strong return. Its imports and exports reached ¥499.08 billion, up 28.5 percent, helping it pass Hangzhou, Chongqing and Qingdao and re-enter China’s top 10 foreign trade cities after 8 years away.
无锡同样表现亮眼。其进出口总额达到¥4990.8亿元，同比增长28.5 percent，超过杭州、重庆和青岛，时隔8年重回全国外贸城市前十。
Zeng Gang of East China Normal University told Times Weekly that Suzhou and Wuxi’s results came first from their solid real economy and manufacturing foundation. In plain English, factories still matter. So do suppliers, logistics, customs speed and the ability to turn industrial clusters into export orders.
华东师范大学城市发展研究院院长曾刚接受《时代周报》采访时表示，苏州、无锡等城市的成绩首先来自扎实的实体经济和制造业基础。说得直白一点，工厂仍然重要。供应链、物流、通关效率，以及把产业集群变成出口订单的能力，也同样重要。
For Nanjing, that is the useful sting in the story. Suzhou’s success comes second here only in the telling. In reality, it is the benchmark next door, showing how quickly a city can pull away when its export industries are already running at speed.
对南京来说，这正是这则新闻里有用的刺痛感。苏州的成功在这篇文章里只是第二部分，但在现实中，它就是隔壁的参照物，说明当一座城市的出口产业已经高速运转时，它可以多快拉开距离。
China’s foreign trade map is moving again. Shenzhen still leads, Suzhou is rising, Wuxi is back and inland cities such as Xi’an and Hefei are climbing fast. Nanjing, for now, has the more awkward task; proving that negative growth is a pause, not a direction.
中国外贸城市版图又在移动。深圳仍然领先，苏州继续上升，无锡重新回到前列，西安、合肥等内陆城市也在快速追赶。南京眼下的任务更尴尬；它需要证明，负增长只是暂停，而不是方向。
