As part of Shanxi province's continued efforts to implement reform and opening up, by the end of 2017 it had established trade relations with 27 countries on five continents.

Its import-export volume in 2017 reached $17.17 billion, 49.1 times higher than the $350 million of foreign trade recorded in 1990. The ratio of high value-added products as a proportion of exports continued to increase with machinery, electronics, electrical equipment and parts accounting for 62.1 percent of total exports in 2017. The foreign capital utilization in 2017 was $2.6 billion, 1,521.8 times higher than in 1985, and growing at an average annual rate of 25.7 percent.

Datong was the first city in Shanxi province to establish a sister city relationship with a city outside China. In 1981 it became sister cities with Japan's Omuta city, and since then the province has established relations with 42 other cities from 19 countries.

China-Europe and China-Asia direct freight rail services have also been launched in Shanxi. The province has so far dispatched 21 cargo trains to Europe since the China Railway Express began operations in the province in February 2017.

Since the province started holding major foreign exchange events such as the Taiyuan Energy Low-Carbon Development Forum and Pingyao International Photography Festival, more visitors and professionals have been visiting the province, putting it on the map for its industries and arts.