Beijing's foreign trade down 18.7%

BEIJING - Beijing's foreign trade dropped 18.7 percent year-on-year to 1.32 trillion yuan ($192 billion) in the first seven months of 2020, local customs said Friday.

Beijing's State-owned enterprises saw foreign trade reach 918.57 billion yuan during the period, down 24.7 percent year-on-year, accounting for 69.3 percent of the city's total foreign trade. The import and export value of private enterprises reached 123.59 billion yuan, up 4.4 percent year-on-year.

China's capital city saw trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia, and the United States fall 10.4 percent, 19.5 percent, and 21.4 percent, respectively, in the seven months of this year.

In terms of major imports, Beijing imported 389.97 billion yuan worth of crude oil, down 32.2 percent, 82.54 billion yuan worth of natural gas, down 20 percent, and 81.09 billion yuan worth of cars, a decrease of 11.4 percent.

In terms of exports, Beijing reported a decline in refined oil and steel, down 22.9 percent and 19.6 percent year-on-year, respectively.

The city's export of mobile phones went up 57 percent, and its export of textile and clothing increased nearly three-fold in the period.