Qingdao Port, Shandong province. [Photo/IC]

Qingdao Customs on Sept 9 said that the imports and exports of Qingdao in East China's Shandong province totaled 549.4 billion yuan ($85.05 billion) from January to August this year, up 39.5 percent year-on-year.

The amount accounted for 29.7 percent of the province's total imports and exports during this period and was a 44.5 percent increase compared with the same period in 2019, according to the department.

The city's exports increased 33.5 percent to 75.11 billion yuan, and its imports reached 240.03 billion yuan, an increase of 48.2 percent year-on-year.

In August, the city's imports and exports totaled 75.11 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 39.7 percent.

Qingdao's three major trade partners in the first eight months of 2021 were the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union and the United States, with import and export values totaling 85.97 billion yuan, 66.01 billion yuan and 62.52 billion yuan respectively.

The city's imports and exports to South Korea, Japan and Brazil during the same period increased by 39.5 percent, 17.5 percent and 29.6 percent respectively.

From January to August, Qingdao's imports and exports to countries and regions along the Belt and Road reached 167.87 billion yuan, up 53.8 percent year-on-year and accounting for 30.6 percent of the city's total foreign trade. Imports and exports to RECP members grew 46.8 percent to reach 208.41 billion yuan, accounting for 46.8 percent of the city's total foreign trade.

The city's private enterprises posted rapid growth in imports and exports during the period, growing 45.1 percent year-on-year to 365.98 billion yuan.