According to Qingdao Customs statistics, in the first half of the year, Qingdao's imports and exports are valued at 437.83 billion yuan. [Photo/Guanhai News]

According to Qingdao Customs statistics, in the first half of the year, Qingdao's imports and exports were valued at 437.83 billion yuan ($60.2 billion), a growth of 1.8 percent year-on-year, achieving historical highs in both monthly and cumulative imports and exports.

In June, Qingdao's imports and exports reached a record 81.76 billion yuan, a 1.1 percent increase. This accounted for 27.4 percent of the province's total foreign trade and contributed 0.3 percentage points to the province's overall foreign trade growth. Exports in June amounted to 49.98 billion yuan, an increase of 11.7 percent.

In the first half of the year, the city's total imports and exports exceeded 437 billion yuan for the first time in the same period, maintaining fifth place among the country's 15 sub-provincial cities.

During the January-June period, the city's export growth rate was 9.8 percent year-on-year, surpassing both the national and provincial averages. Among the eight eastern coastal cities in China, Qingdao's export growth rate was lower only than Shenzhen's and Ningbo's.

Qingdao continued to broaden its circle of foreign trade partners by focusing on international market expansion in the first half of the year. The city arranged a total of 1,061 companies to participate in 71 overseas exhibitions during the period.