Statistics showed that in May alone, Xiamen's import and export volume soared 11.3 percent to 83.05 billion yuan ($12.39 billion), hitting a record high this year.

Xiamen's import and export volume increased 7.2 percent year-on-year to 358.77 billion yuan from January to May.

Of which, its imports grew 3.1 percent year-on-year to 176.77 billion yuan while its exports grew 11.5 percent to 182 billion yuan in the first five months.

From January to May, Xiamen's trade with BRICS countries increased by 10.8 percent to 28.34 billion yuan.

Xiamen's trade with countries involved in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement during the first five months reached 120.34 billion yuan, an increase of 1.5 percent. Of which, Xiamen's import and export scale with Myanmar and Cambodia increased over 30 percent compared to the same period last year.

During the same period, the city's private companies achieved a total of 133.36 billion yuan in import and export volume, an increase of 7.7 percent year-on-year and accounted for 37.2 percent of the city's total, while that of the State-owned companies and foreign-invested companies accounted for 36.2 percent and 26.6 percent, respectively.

Statistics also showed that mechanical and electrical products, as well as labor-intensive products such as textiles and garments, were the major exports during the January-to-May period, growing 9.7 percent and 18.5 percent year-on-year to 80.59 billion yuan and 50.74 billion yuan, respectively.

Mechanical and electrical products as well as agricultural produce were the major imports, reaching 36.27 billion yuan and 32.84 billion yuan in the first five months, an increase of 0.2 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively.

A bird's-eye view of the Lego-like shipping containers at Xiamen Port in Fujian province. [Photo/WeChat account: xiamen_swj]