As shown in the statistics of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), in January 2026, the amount of foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks was RMB 2004.8 billion and RMB 1445.7 billion, respectively. In the US dollar terms, in January 2026, the amount of foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks was USD 286.3 billion and USD 206.5 billion, respectively.
In January 2026, the amount of cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors was RMB 5472.2 billion and RMB 4897.4 billion, respectively. In the US dollar terms, in January 2026, the amount of cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors was USD 781.6 billion and USD 699.5 billion, respectively.
Addendum: Glossary and relevant definitions
Foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks refers to settlement and sale transaction that bank executes for customers and for the banks themselves, including statistic data on settlements of forward contracts for foreign exchange settlement and sales and the exercises of option, and excluding the transactions in the interbank foreign exchange market. The statistic reporting date of Foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks should be the trade day of the Foreign exchange settlement and sales transaction. By definition, foreign exchange settlement means that foreign exchange holders sell foreign exchange to banks, and foreign exchange sales means that banks sell foreign exchange to foreign exchange buyers.
The newly signed contract amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales refers to the binding forward contract between a bank and its client that predetermines foreign exchange currency, amount, exchange rate and tenor which to be executed upon maturity.
The unwind amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales refers to, where client is unable to perform the original forward contract due to change in its real demand, client to fully or partially close its forward position by executing another deal with opposite direction to the original contract.
The rolling amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales refers to client to adjust the settlement date of original contract due to change in its real demand.
The outstanding amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales by the end of the current period refers to the total amount of forward contracts accumulated from all non-matured forward contracts with client.
The net Delta exposure of outstanding options refers to the implied foreign exchange spot risk exposure from outstanding option contracts that bank executed with client.
The cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors refers to the receipts and payments between domestic non-banking sectors (including institutional and individual residents) and non-residents through domestic banks, excluding cash transactions and bank’s own cross-border receipts and payments. In particular, the statistics includes cross-border receipts and payments between non-banking sectors and non-residents through domestic banks (including RMB and foreign currency), and domestic receipts and payments between non-banking sectors and non-residents through domestic banks (temporarily excluding domestic receipts and payments in RMB between individual/institutional residents and non-resident individuals). Data are collected when customers conduct receipts and payments with non-resident counterparties at domestic banks. Specifically, the receipts refer to funds received by non-banking sectors from non-residents via domestic banks; the payments refer to funds paid by non-banking sectors to non-residents via domestic banks.
