Qidong's foreign trade hit 15.83 billion yuan (about $2.33 billion) in the first five months, up 28.6 percent year-on-year. Exports totaled 10.34 billion yuan, increasing by 3.1 percent, while imports soared 40 percent to 5.49 billion yuan.

Private enterprises continued to drive growth, generating 8.82 billion yuan, a 64.6-percent increase and representing 55.7 percent of Qidong's total foreign trade. General trade registered 7.86 billion yuan, growing by 10.3 percent, while processing trade jumped 48.8 percent to 7.71 billion yuan.

Exports of mechanical and electrical products brought in 8.33 billion yuan and made up 80.6 percent of Qidong's total exports. Imports of such products climbed 40 percent to 4.52 billion yuan.

Trade with the European Union more than doubled to 3.53 billion yuan. Trade with Brazil surged 370 percent to 1.21 billion yuan, while trade with the United States rose 79.3 percent to 820 million yuan. Trade with Belt and Road countries reached 7.49 billion yuan, up 29.2 percent.

A vessel departs from a shipyard in Qidong, a county-level city of Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: qidongfabu]