China’s Foreign Exchange Transactions Show Stable Momentum in February 2026

Data released on the website of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) has shown steady performance of China’s foreign exchange market in February 2026, with clear and positive signals in both bank foreign exchange settlement and sales as well as cross-border fund flows, reflecting the sound operation of the country’s foreign exchange sector.

In terms of bank foreign exchange settlement and sales, the data indicated that in February 2026, banks settled 1.4338 trillion yuan in foreign exchange and sold 1.1362 trillion yuan. For the January-February period of 2026, the cumulative foreign exchange settlement by banks reached 3.4385 trillion yuan, while the cumulative foreign exchange sales stood at 2.5819 trillion yuan, showing a reasonable balance between supply and demand in the foreign exchange market.

When measured in US dollars, the bank foreign exchange settlement in February 2026 was 206.4 billion US dollars, with foreign exchange sales amounting to 163.6 billion US dollars. Cumulatively, from January to February 2026, banks settled a total of 492.7 billion US dollars in foreign exchange and sold 370.1 billion US dollars, maintaining a stable operation trend.

In addition to bank foreign exchange settlement and sales, cross-border fund flows also maintained a steady momentum. In February 2026, banks recorded 4.1684 trillion yuan in foreign-related income on behalf of clients and 3.9211 trillion yuan in outward payments. For the first two months of the year, the cumulative foreign-related income on behalf of clients reached 9.6406 trillion yuan, with cumulative outward payments totaling 8.8185 trillion yuan, indicating active cross-border economic and trade exchanges.

Measured in US dollars, the foreign-related income on behalf of clients by banks in February 2026 was 600.1 billion US dollars, and the outward payments were 564.5 billion US dollars. Cumulatively, from January to February 2026, the total foreign-related income on behalf of clients reached 1.3817 trillion US dollars, while the cumulative outward payments were 1.2640 trillion US dollars, reflecting the strong resilience and vitality of China’s cross-border capital flows.

The stable performance of foreign exchange transactions in February and the first two months of 2026 fully demonstrates the sound development momentum of China’s foreign exchange market. The balanced operation of bank foreign exchange settlement and sales, together with the active cross-border fund flows, not only reflects the stable expectations of the foreign exchange market but also lays a solid foundation for the steady development of China’s economy and foreign trade.