Statistics showed that Xiamen's import and export volume increased 6.5 percent year-on-year to 524.01 billion yuan ($77.8 billion) from January to July.

In July alone, the city's exports hit 42.25 billion yuan, an increase of 12.6 percent. May and June showed increases of 10.3 percent and 23.6 percent, respectively.

During the first seven months, the city's private companies achieved a total import and export volume of 201.77 billion yuan, an increase of 12.2 percent, and accounted for 38.5 percent of the city's total.

Statistics showed that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the United States, and the European Union were Xiamen's top three trade partners in the first seven months of this year. Their import and export volumes with Xiamen hit 97.97 billion yuan, 77.05 billion yuan, and 60.8 billion yuan, and increased 12.6 percent, 19.1 percent, and 13.1 percent, respectively.

In addition, Xiamen's import and export volume with countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road grew 13.8 percent to 177.69 billion yuan.

According to statistics, mechanical and electrical products, as well as labor-intensive products were the major exports during the January-to-July period, amounting to 114.58 billion yuan and 77.65 billion yuan, which accounted for 42.7 percent and 28.9 percent of the city's total, respectively.

During the same period, mechanical and electrical products as well as agricultural produce were the major imports, reaching 50.92 billion yuan and 47.84 billion yuan, which accounted for 19.9 percent and 18.7 percent of the city's total, respectively.

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