Baotou city in Inner Mongolia [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Baotou in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region recorded a foreign trade import and export value of 21.12 billion yuan ($3.32 billion) in the first 10 months of 2021, accounting for 21 percent of the autonomous region's total, according to statistics released by Baotou customs.

The figure represented a year-on-year increase of 65.93 percent.

During the period, exports were 9.74 billion yuan, an increase of 77.18 percent year on year, and imports were 11.38 billion yuan, an increase of 57.38 percent year on year.

In the first 10 months, the general trade import and export value was 19.52 billion yuan, an increase of 58.99 percent, and accounted for 92.43 percent of the city's foreign trade import and export value during the same period. The bonded logistics import and export value was 649 million yuan, which is an increase of 362.66 percent, and accounted for 3.07 percent of the city's total. 

Australia, South Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia are Baotou's main trading countries, and their trade value has increased significantly during the period.

Moreover, Baotou's import and export trade values with Australia, South Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia were 9.35 billion yuan, 2.14 billion yuan, 1.22 billion yuan and 1.18 billion yuan respectively, which is an increase of 81.83 percent, 157.35 percent, 251.8 percent and 94.91 percent respectively.

State-owned enterprises continue to maintain their leading position in foreign trade with a total import and export volume of 16.73 billion yuan, which is a year-on-year increase of 68.79 percent, and accounted for 78.2 percent of the city's total import and export value.

Baotou was recently listed among China's Top 100 Foreign Trade Cities of 2020 by China Customs magazine, which demonstrates the city's vibrant and growing economy and foreign trade business.