In 2018, Baotou city’s business work has been solidly promoted, showing ten highlights in the first half of the year.

1. The city was rated as an excellent national exhibition city by the National Exhibition Office. Since the city launched the "2018 Baotou City Consumer Promotion Work Implementation Plan", it has successfully held nine large-scale promotional activities, such as the 2018 Promotion of Consumers Comprehensive Exhibition, achieving sales of 420 million yuan ($61 million).

2. The Ministry of Commerce named Hondlon district as a national material transformation and upgrading base for industrial metal used in foreign trade. 

3. Baotou Rare Earth High-Tech Industrial Development Zone was rated as a national foreign trade transformation and upgrading base for precious metals by the Ministry of Commerce.

4. Approved by the State Council, Baotou Airport is to add international air routes. The movement was included in the 2018 annual port trial plan by the General Administration of Customs, an important step to realize the opening of the city's aviation ports.

5. The city's foreign trade exports continued to rank first in Inner Mongolia autonomous region. From January to May, the city's foreign trade exports reached 3.76 billion yuan, accounting for 24.2 percent of the total export from the autonomous region.

6. The Mandula Port’s cargo growth rate was the highest in the autonomous region. In the first six months of 2018, the total volume of import and export goods was 1.772 million tons, close to the total amount of last year. It was the highest increase in the autonomous region, with 29.4 percent in the first five months.

7. Baotou has successfully organized three overseas business promotion activities, which won recognition from the Business Department of Inner Mongolia autonomous region and the Inner Mongolia Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

8. A significant breakthrough in overseas projects, the city has developed the China Textile Park in Madagascar and China-Ulan-Bator Business Logistics Park in Ulan Bator, Mongolia.

9. Baotou has won the most project funds in the autonomous region. In the first half of the year, it won 34.97 million yuan of higher-level funds for port construction and foreign trade and economic development; 19 projects including Baihe International Cultural City were introduced, with a total investment of 62.785 billion yuan and a capital of 769 million yuan.

10. Social work and construction in the city have achieved remarkable results. The city’s bureau of commerce won numerous city-level honors including the designation of advanced unit for attracting investment, and advanced unit for safe production.