Kathmandu— China's service trade expanded by 8.3 percent year on year in the first half of 2026, reaching nearly 3.78 trillion yuan (about 556.56 billion U.S. dollars) according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday.

Travel Services Surge

Among the top five service export categories, travel services saw the fastest growth, increasing by 31.1 percent to reach 229.2 billion yuan. This surge reflects a strong recovery in international tourism and business travel following pandemic-related restrictions.

Knowledge-Intensive Services Thrive

The knowledge-intensive services trade also showed robust growth, rising by 6.7 percent year on year to reach 1.66 trillion yuan. This category accounted for 44 percent of all service trade during the period. Notably, personal cultural and entertainment services saw a significant increase of 57.2 percent, while charges for the use of intellectual property grew by 44.3 percent.

Transport Services Imports Soar

Imports of transport services totaled 498.1 billion yuan in the first half of 2026, marking a growth rate of 30.4 percent and leading among the top five service import categories. This indicates an increase in demand for international transportation services.

(With inputs from Xinhua)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.