TEDA is a product of China's pragmatic economic policies and a showcase of Tianjin's opening to the outside world. Since TEDA's birth, development has always been the top priority. Over the span of 20 years, TEDA has developed into China's largest, fastest growing development area with the best economic results.

In the course of TEDA's development, not a single piece of arable land has been encroached upon nor a single cent of government fiscal fund used. It began its arduous journey to what it is today on a piece of saline-alkali land and by a loan of RMB 300 million. From 1992 to 2005, TEDA's GDP increased by 51 times from RMB 1.27 billion to RMB 64.2 billion; total industrial output increased by 72 times from RMB 3.2 billion to RMB 230 billion; export increased by 86 times from USD 160 million to USD 13.8 billion; fiscal revenue increased by 62 times from RMB 230 million to RMB 14.2 billion.

TEDA's major economic growth indicators have ranked first among the country's state-class development areas for 7 years on end. TEDA has become Tianjin's most important economic powerhouse. Many multinational corporations are running their manufacturing centers in TEDA and playing an instrumental role in shaping TEDA's four pillar industries, including the electronics communications industry represented by Motorola, Sanyo, Samsung and Panasonic, the machinery manufacturing industry represented by Toyota, SEW and Emerson, the biomedicine and chemical industry represented by GlaxoSmithKline, Tanabe and Novo Nordisk, and the food beverage industry represented by Tinghsin, Coca Cola, Nestlé and China Otsuka. In 2003, these four industries generated total industrial revenue of RMB 114.5 billion, accounting for 91.5% of TEDA's total industrial revenue. TEDA has developed into China's influential electronics communications manufacturing base. The output of numerous electronics communications products represented by handset is the highest in the country. TEDA's return on industrial investment of the last 5 years is 15%, the highest in the country.

TEDA boasts a good reputation in the world. In October of 2000, it was honored by Fortune magazine as “China's most admired industrial area”. In 2002, it was honored by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as one of the six “Most Economic Vibrant Areas in China”. In 2003, according to an evaluation by Singapore's China Knowledge of China's over 200 economic and technological development areas, TEDA ranked first. In 2005, TEDA achieved a total industrial output value of RMB 230 billion, GDP of RMB 64.2 billion, tax revenue of RMB 14.3 billion and export valued at USD 13.8 billion. In November of 2005, Tianjin Toyota-Aisin Auto Seating Spare Parts Co., Ltd. was formed in TEDA, 100 th investment project in TEDA by a Fortune 500 company.