(CFP Photo)

Foreign trade in the Yangtze River Delta made significant strides in 2023 despite challenges such as weak external demand and downward trend in international commodity prices.

The delta region comprises Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui.

Shanghai’s imports and exports totaled 4.21 trillion yuan, a 0.7% increase from 2022. Notably, the annual export of electric vehicles reached 120.89 billion yuan, up 43.9%.

Anhui's foreign trade amounted to 805.22 billion yuan, ranking tenth in the country for the first time, with its import and export growth rates leading nationally for the first time. The province’s export values hit 523.12 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year growth of 11.3%.

Jiangsu and Zhejiang reached 5.25 trillion yuan and 4.90 trillion yuan in foreign trade, respectively, securing the second and third place nationwide, trailing only behind Guangdong Province.

In Jiangsu, Lianyungang City’s foreign trade surged by 27.2%, the second highest among China’s top 50 cities, partly due to the development of the petrochemical industry. Lianyungang also led the province in GDP and foreign trade growths.

Kunshan, a county-level city under Suzhou’s administration, stood out in foreign trade, reaching 761.06 billion yuan in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 10.3%, accounting for 14.5% of Jiangsu’s total foreign trade value. Furthermore, private enterprises in Kunshan contributed 333.98 billion yuan to foreign trade, representing a 50.1% increase.