Beijing's foreign trade stays robust

BEIJING -- Beijing posted robust growth in its foreign trade in 2021, highlighting the national capital's strong economic resilience, local customs authority said Friday.

The city's total import and export value surged 30.6 percent year on year to reach 3.04 trillion yuan (about $479.7 billion) last year, according to Beijing Customs.

The growth rate is 9.2 percentage points higher than the national average.

In breakdown, imports hit 2.43 trillion yuan, marking a 30.4 percent increase from the previous year, while exports surged 31.2 percent to 611.9 billion yuan.

In 2021, the top import commodities included agricultural products, crude oil and natural gas, while exports of medical materials, medicines and mobile phones saw a rise.

The private sector in Beijing displayed its vitality. Last year, the total foreign trade volume contributed by private enterprises increased 29 percent year on year to over 290.3 billion yuan. The COVID-19 test kits topped the export list of the private companies in the city.