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Ministry of Commerce Releases Jan-Jul E-Commerce Data: Online Retail Sales Up 4.8%, Contributing Over 50% of Growth

Ministry of Commerce Releases Jan-Jul E-Commerce Data: Online Retail Sales Up 4.8%, Contributing Over 50% of Growth

News2026-08-20

On August 20, the head of the Department of E-Commerce at the Ministry of Commerce briefed the public on China's e-commerce development for the first seven months of 2026. According to the data, national online retail sales of goods and services grew 4.8% year-on-year from January to July, and Ministry of Commerce calculations show that e-commerce contributed more than 50% of the total growth in retail sales of goods and services during this period.

Online Consumption Penetration Continues to Rise
Ministry of Commerce data shows that from January to July, online retail sales of goods by units above a designated size accounted for 28.7% of total retail sales, up 2.5 percentage points compared to the same period last year. This indicates that online channels continue to penetrate into daily consumer spending, becoming an important force driving domestic demand.

In the services consumption sector, the digitalization trend is equally evident. Data from key e-commerce platforms monitored by the Ministry of Commerce shows that from January to July, online tourism sales grew 24.9%, and online lifestyle services sales grew 16.3%. The online growth rate in services consumption significantly outpaced that of physical goods, consistent with the recent trend of consumption structure upgrading.

"Digital Commerce for Agriculture" and Industrial Cluster Digitalization Accelerate
E-commerce continues to empower the transformation and upgrading of the three major industries. Big data monitoring from the Ministry of Commerce shows that from January to July, online retail sales of agricultural products and rural goods grew 12.8% and 5% year-on-year respectively. The "Digital Commerce for Agriculture" initiative continues to drive deep integration of digital technology with agricultural and rural development.

In the industrial sector, various regions are actively cultivating "e-commerce + industrial clusters," organizing e-commerce platforms to connect with specialized industry agglomerations. from January to July, B2B e-commerce transaction volumes for industrial products and chemical products grew 1.4% and 1.2% respectively. The 2026 Shandong Cross-Border E-Commerce Ecosystem Conference, which opened yesterday (August 19) in Yantai, is exploring AI technology applications and industrial cluster digitalization paths for global expansion under the theme "Digital Empowerment, Industry Chain Upgrading."

"Silk Road E-Commerce" Expands International Cooperation
In terms of economic and trade cooperation, the "Silk Road E-Commerce Benefits the World" thematic campaign continues to advance. The Cloud Lecture Hall Arab Special Edition established two new overseas sub-venues in Egypt and Morocco, attracting nearly 1,000 e-commerce practitioners from 21 Arab countries. Xinjiang, Hebei, Shaanxi, Jiangsu and other provinces have organized "Silk Road Cloud Products" series of events, promoting high-quality goods to "export into China."

On cross-border e-commerce import platforms monitored by the Ministry of Commerce's big data system, products from several Belt and Road partner countries performed particularly well: from January to July, Serbian wine sales grew 122.5%, Bangladeshi coffee beans grew 112.2%, and New Zealand butter grew 69.4%.

Express Delivery and Traffic Data Confirm Growth
Supporting infrastructure data also confirms the steady growth of e-commerce. According to data from the State Post Bureau, express delivery revenue grew 7.4% year-on-year from January to July. According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, mobile internet traffic grew 17.7% from January to June, indicating sustained growth in online consumption activity.

From a global perspective, the cross-border e-commerce landscape is also changing. Recent reports indicate that over 100 international brands have adjusted their entry strategies for China, prioritizing the launch of their first China stores on Tmall. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has released a report targeting tariff evasion through transshipment of Chinese goods via low-tariff intermediary countries, which could potentially trigger a broader dispute over the definition of "Made in China."

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Ministry of Commerce Releases Jan-Jul E-Commerce Data: Online Retail Sales Up 4.8%, Contributing Over 50% of Growth