BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- China's logistics sector maintained steady momentum in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, with major indicators posting solid growth, according to data released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.

From January to March, China's total social logistics value came in at 96.4 trillion yuan (about 14 trillion U.S. dollars), up 6.2 percent year on year based on comparable prices. The growth rate accelerated by 1.1 percentage points from the full-year level in 2025 and by 0.5 percentage points from the first quarter of 2025, respectively, the federation said.

The industrial sector was the biggest driver of logistics growth. The value of industrial goods logistics rose 5.8 percent year on year, contributing more than 80 percent of the increase in total social logistics value over the period. Within the sector, manufacturing accounted for over 80 percent of logistics demand.

Data also showed steady growth in logistics related to people's livelihoods in the first three months of 2026, as emerging consumption trends continued to add fresh momentum. During the period, China's online retail sales rose 7.5 percent year on year, accounting for 24.8 percent of total retail sales of consumer goods.

Liu Yuhang, director of the China Logistics Information Center, said that, supported by the recovery in springtime consumption and policies aimed at boosting spending, demand for consumer-related logistics has expanded steadily, with the sector's resilience continuing to strengthen.

Looking ahead, efforts will focus on optimizing urban-rural delivery networks and accelerating the development of a modern supply chain system, Liu said.

Liu also called for closely tracking changes in transport and oil prices, and for advancing the logistics sector's digital, intelligent and green transformation. ■