Zhanjiang's foreign trade to BRI countries exceeds $10b

In the first 10 months of this year, Zhanjiang's total value of imports and exports to countries along the Belt and Road was 10.18 billion yuan ($1.45 billion), a year-on-year increase of 34.3 percent. Among them, exports were 6.59 billion yuan, an increase of 24 percent, while imports were 3.59 billion yuan, an increase of 58.3 percent.

The foreign trade value to BRI countries through general trade reached 8.73 billion yuan, an increase of 36.8 percent, of which exports were 5.43 billion yuan, an increase of 22.7 percent, while imports were 3.3 billion yuan, an increase of 68.4 percent. The total imports and exports value of Zhanjiang's private sector enterprises, state-owned enterprises, and foreign investment enterprises to BRI countries were 4.8 billion yuan, 3.28 billion yuan, and 2.1 billion yuan respectively.

The main import and export markets were India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia, among which furniture and parts exports have grown rapidly.

To date, Zhanjiang Customs has taken effective actions this year to help develop the foreign trade industry. The city has integrated and optimized clearance supervision service measures to help build Zhanjiang Port into a bulk trading center in South China. It has also signed memorandums of cooperation with 14 customs agencies, including those of Chongqing, Nanning, and Haikou, to contribute to the construction of the Land-Sea Trade Corridor. The city has also promoted the development of multimodal transport business by opening 19 sea-rail trains to Yunnan, Guizhou, and Hunan, in addition to their special trains connecting ASEAN countries.

Zhanjiang Customs has also initiated the "two-step declaration" reform, which allows enterprises to complete customs clearance quickly and simply, optimizing the port's business environment, as well as benefiting import and export companies in the city.