In 2023, Shandong Province's import and export trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative increased by 3.3%.

      On the afternoon of January 17, the Information Office of Shandong Provincial Government held a press conference, inviting officials from Qingdao Customs and Jinan Customs to introduce the relevant situation of Shandong Province's foreign trade import and export in 2023.

      At the press conference, Zhang Yibing, Deputy Director General of Jinan Customs, introduced Shandong Province's import and export situation with "Belt and Road" co-building countries in the first half of 2023.

According to Zhang Yibing, in the past year, goods clearance between Shandong Province and "Belt and Road" co-building countries has become smoother, and trade exchanges have become closer, with their role in promoting high-quality development of Shandong's foreign trade becoming increasingly prominent.

      Data shows that in 2023, Shandong Province's import and export with co-building countries reached 1.84 trillion RMB, a year-on-year increase of 3.3%. Of this, exports were 995.3 billion RMB, up 4.8%; imports were 843.45 billion RMB, up 1.5%. The main characteristics are as follows:

      First, trade exchanges have become closer, and the scale of import and export has steadily expanded. Since the "Belt and Road" Initiative was proposed, Shandong Province's trade volume with co-building countries has repeatedly hit new highs, surpassing 1 trillion RMB in 2019 and 1.5 trillion RMB in 2022. In 2023, the import and export value reached 1.84 trillion RMB, accounting for 56.3% of the province's total foreign trade, with both scale and proportion being the highest since the initiative's inception.

      Second, partnerships have become closer, with import and export growth achieved with most co-building countries. Against the backdrop of weak recovery in developed economies in Europe and America, "Belt and Road" countries, mainly emerging markets, have taken over the momentum, becoming important partners supporting our province's foreign trade growth. In 2023, Shandong Province achieved import and export growth with 107 co-building countries, with imports and exports to Malaysia, Russia, and Guinea growing by 22.4%, 27.6%, and 22.5% respectively.

      Third, foreign trade entities are growing, with private enterprises being the most vibrant. Private enterprises are increasingly participating in trade with co-building countries. In 2023, a total of 53,000 enterprises in Shandong Province deepened their presence in the "Belt and Road" market, an increase of 3,891. Among these, 48,500 were private enterprises, achieving an import and export value of 1.44 trillion RMB, up 5.3%, with their share increasing by 1.5 percentage points to 78.1%, driving the import and export growth with co-building countries by 4 percentage points.

      Fourth, new and old growth drivers work in synergy, and industrial linkages are smoother. In 2023, Shandong Province exported electromechanical products worth 446.86 billion RMB to co-building countries, an increase of 12.8%, accounting for 44.9%. Among these, exports of "new three items" such as electric manned vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and solar cells grew by 32%, while exports of clothing and furniture grew by 17.6% and 39.7% respectively. The industrial and supply chains between co-building countries and our province are more closely linked, with 57% of our province's intermediate products exported to co-building countries, including auto parts, chemical fiber textile raw materials, and ferroalloys, which grew by 22.5%, 117.4%, and 519.7% respectively.

      Fifth, trade cooperation in agricultural and energy products continues to deepen. Since the "Belt and Road" Initiative was proposed, the depth and breadth of cooperation in agricultural and energy products between Shandong Province and co-building countries have continuously expanded. Co-building countries have become important agricultural trade partners and sources of energy products for our province. In 2023, our province's agricultural product trade with co-building countries reached 124.73 billion RMB, accounting for 39.6% of our province's total agricultural product trade. In terms of energy products, our province has continuously strengthened energy cooperation with co-building countries in the Middle East and Central Asia, as well as Russia. The scale of energy product imports from co-building countries reached 355.69 billion RMB, with its share of the province's total energy imports increasing to 94.4%.

      Zhang Yibing stated that the "Belt and Road" Initiative has completed a decade since its proposal, during which the mutually beneficial and win-win situation between our province and co-building countries has continuously consolidated. Looking ahead to the next decade, the "Belt and Road" co-construction will bring new opportunities and broader development prospects for Shandong Province's high-quality foreign trade development. Next, Qingdao Customs and Jinan Customs will continue to contribute to promoting safe and smooth trade with co-building countries and advancing the high-quality co-construction of the "Belt and Road" steadily.