Beijing?Tianjin?Hebei's private sector posted 142.75 billion yuan (about US$20 billion) in exports during the first quarter of 2025, marking an 8.5% year?on?year increase and raising its share of the region's total exports by 3.6 percentage points to 44%. Data released by Beijing Customs shows that private enterprises are now the engine of regional foreign trade, with both volume and value expanding in key segments.

Several new cross?border freight rail services have opened in Q1, offering faster, more cost?effective routes and unlocking new markets for private exporters. In March, the first direct freight train from Beijing's Fangshan district to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, departed carrying 90 standard containers filled with air-handling units, compressors and engines valued at over 16 million yuan. Around the same time, a dedicated rail link bound for Vietnam began operations from Handan, Hebei, trimming transit times by roughly 20% compared with previous routes and strengthening ties with ASEAN markets.

Automotive exports have emerged as a standout growth driver for private companies across the region. Private?sector auto exports grew 23.4% year on year to 12.55 billion yuan in Q1, while parts shipments increased 39.4% to 5.08 billion yuan. Together, these two categories accounted for 12.3% of private?sector exports, lifting the overall growth rate by three percentage points.

Domestic brands beyond the auto sector also recorded impressive gains. Self?owned?brand exports climbed 36.4% to 45.79 billion yuan. They accounted for 32.1% of private exports, 6.6 percentage points higher than in Q1 2024. 

Beijing in particular has seen sustained strength in its private sector's overseas performance. Its private enterprises recorded 35.57 billion yuan in exports — a 33.7% jump — extending a streak of 21 consecutive months of year?on?year growth and outperforming the national private?sector export average by 26.7 percentage points.