In 2021, Sichuan's national economic development zones saw the combined output value of major industrial firms, each with annual main business revenue of at least 20 million yuan, arrived at 961.22 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.4%; the total export-import volume reached 81.01 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 17.9%; the contract value of foreign direct investment (FDI) was 599 million U. S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 23.75 times, according to the video conference on the work of Sichuan's national economic development zones and international (regional) cooperation parks on March 29, 2022.

Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce said there are currently 10 national economic development zones in the province, making it rank first in the west China, and share second and fifth place with another provincial-level region in central and west China as well as in China respectively; there are 17 international (regional) cooperation parks in the province, making it rank first in central and west China and third in China. In 2021, 217 national economic development zones were assessed and ranked in China. Sichuan's eight ones assessed improved their rankings to the middle and upper level in the country. Last year, Sichuan's international (regional) cooperation parks took the lead to set up the cooperation park cultivation system of "one construction plan, one comprehensive evaluation scheme, one assessment system and one guideline". 

As part of an effort to build provincial and national economic development zones, Sichuan will roll out a new assessment method, adding refined assessment indicators, including opening-up, sci-tech innovation and green development. As far as opening-up, Sichuan will further expand foreign trade by taking full advantage of the provincial and national policies of ensuring stability in foreign trade and investment and measurements to ease the pressure of enterprises. In terms of sci-tech innovation, the province will support national economic development zones to build platforms of sci-tech services, commercialization of sci-tech advances and intellectual property services, and encourage enterprises in the zones to invest more in research and development of cutting-edge and core technologies and strengthen their capabilities of independent innovation. Regarding green development, it will set up a dual carbon goal, formulate a roadmap and compile carbon emission inventory.