Shanghai's foreign trade continues to thrive

In the first four months of this year, the total import and export value of Shanghai reached 1.39 trillion yuan (US$197.16 billion), an increase of 13.5 percent year on year and 7.6 percentage points higher than the national average growth rate.

Among them, exports were 558.65 billion yuan, an increase of 16.3 percent, while imports were 834.57 billion yuan, an increase of 11.6 percent.

From the overall import and export data for the first four months of this year, foreign-invested enterprises' import and export value reached 811.18 billion yuan, the largest share in the total import and export value of the city, accounting for 58.2 percent.

Shanghai's import from and export to other members of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and to countries along the Belt and Road has seen steady growth.

During this period, Shanghai's imports from and exports to major trading partners such as the European Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the United States, and Japan have all increased.

Shanghai's exports of new-energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar cells are still strong, with exports in the first four months of this year increasing by 153.5 percent, 274 percent, and 92.2 percent, respectively. Exports of mobile phones and laptops decreased by 2.9 percent and 42.7 percent, respectively.

Imports in consumer goods have rebounded. In the first four months of this year, the import of consumer goods in Shanghai reached 191.03 billion yuan, an increase of 18.4 percent, with medicines, automobiles, cosmetics, meat, dairy, fruits, showing faster growth.