Zhongshan Port. [File photo by Wen Zhicheng]

According to the latest statistics released by Zhongshan Customs, Zhongshan's total import-export value from January to August 2019 reached 162.06 billion yuan, a year-on-year (similarly hereinafter) increase of 6.7%. Specifically, exports recorded 130.96 billion yuan, representing a 12.6% increase, and imports recorded 31.1 billion yuan, thereby representing a 12.5% decrease.

According to Zhongshan Customs, from January to August, Zhongshan ranked first among the 9 mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area in terms of year-on-year increase in imports and exports, as well as in exports, but ranked seventh in the total value of imports and exports and fifth in total value of exports; both the total value of imports and the year-on-year increase ranked seventh.

The imports and exports of general trade increased rapidly, with the volume reaching 79.24 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.3%. Imports and exports by private companies kept rising, whereas the export and import volume of foreign-funded companies reached 90.29 billion yuan, down by 3.7%, accounting for 55.7% of the total. Private companies' import and export volume reached 62.15 billion yuan, up by 25.3%, accounting for 38.3%; while the total volume of state-owned enterprises reached 9.62 billion yuan, up by 13.6%, accounting for 5.9%.

From January to August, the imports and exports of Zhongshan companies to the United States reached 30.99 billion yuan, with an increase of 0.3%. Exports stood at 29.87 billion yuan, with an increase of 2.3% over the same period last year.

Companies in Zhongshan imported and exported products worth 29.03 billion yuan, 19.65 billion yuan and 16.04 billion yuan respectively to the EU, ASEAN and Hong Kong, with the increase of 18.1%, 10.6% and 2.0%. Imports and exports to the emerging markets in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East  amounted to 11.41 billion yuan, 4 billion yuan and 7.07 billion yuan, thereby representing an increase of 10.3%, 55.7% and 21.2% respectively.

In the first 8 months, the export value in the market procurement trade mode in Zhongshan stood at 9.61 billion yuan, with the amount in August reaching 2.72 billion yuan, thus representing a month-on-month increase of 112.9%.