Trade roars back amid economic recovery

The first freight train for the shipment route from Shanxi to Ningbo Zhoushan Port begins operating on Jan 1. Wang Lei / For China Daily

A train carrying 600 metric tons of high-speed train wheel sets and photovoltaic panels left the Zhongding Logistics Park in Jinzhong,Shanxi province,on Jan 1.It was bound for Ningbo Zhoushan Port in East China's Zhejiang province and marked the inauguration of a new land-sea transmodal shipment route for Shanxi's international trade.

The new route was developed to meet the rapid growth in foreign trade in Shanxi.With the first half of 2020 affected by COVID-19,foreign trade made a strong recovery in the second half.Shanxi's imports and exports grew 85.8 percent year-on-year to reach 49.02 billion yuan($7.64 billion)in the first quarter of this year,according to Taiyuan Customs.

Its exports increased 95.8 percent year-on-year to 29.61 billion yuan in the first quarter.

The export of solar power equipment,including photovoltaic panels and batteries,was among the strongest-growing sectors.The export of solar power batteries,for instance,increased 274.9 percent to reach 560 million yuan in the first quarter.

Machinery and electronic products made up the lion's share of Shanxi's foreign trade.The export and import of such products reached 34.15 billion yuan in the first quarter.It grew 117.21 percent from the same period of 2020 and accounted for 81.41 percent of the province's total foreign trade volume.

On April 16,140 live pigs left Jinyang Customs in Taiyuan and arrived in Hong Kong on April 18,after quarantine inspections by customs.

The export of live pigs is a relatively new business for Shanxi's agricultural produce exporters.It started in 2019.

Local traders said it is significant in Shanxi's exports as strict quality standards are required for exporting pigs.

Nanshan Baishi Agriculture and Husbandry is a major live pig exporter in Shanxi.Li Zhi,deputy general manager of the company,said that the pigs were raised on its farms with a diet featuring a low amount of drug and pesticide residue and a high protein content.

"Our pigs are well-received by residents in Hong Kong,"Li said."We plan to sell more than 3,000 live pigs to the special administrative region this year."

Jinyang Customs has also played an important role in ensuring the quality of products.

"On one hand,we have implemented the strictest quarantine inspection measures,"said Yang Tao,head of Jinyang Customs."On the other hand,we have offered assistance to guide enterprises to establish their own internal quality control systems."

The official said strict quality control measures at customs and within enterprises will eventually increase the popularity of Shanxi's agricultural exports in the global market.

Foreign-funded and privately owned enterprises are the major forces driving the province's foreign trade growth,according to the Shanxi Department of Commerce.

Figures from the department show that the foreign trade volume of foreign-funded enterprises reached 30.02 billion yuan in the first quarter.It grew 121.5 percent year-on-year and accounted for 72.74 percent of Shanxi's total foreign trade.Privately owned companies reported a foreign trade volume of 9.93 billion yuan in the same period,increasing 78.8 percent and making up 19.33 percent of the provincial total.

Wang Pei contributed to this story.

By Yuan Shenggao