Beijing's foreign trade hits record high in H1

Beijing's foreign trade hits a record high of 1.42 trillion yuan ($219 billion) in the first half of this year, up 26 percent year-on-year, according to the city's customs bureau.

The capital's imports reached 1.13 trillion yuan, an increase of 28.2 percent year-on-year, while its exports grew by 18.1 percent year-on-year to 293 billion yuan.

The city's foreign trade in June was 266.7 billion yuan, the highest monthly figure since December 2019.

Beijing's trade with its top five trading partners — the European Union, United States, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia and Japan — was on a rising trajectory during the first six months of this year.

The top import commodities were automobiles and agricultural products, which rose respectively by 71.2 percent and 53.6 percent year-on-year.

High-tech products continued to drive Beijing's export growth, including mobile phones and integrated circuits. Commodity exports, such as petroleum and steel, declined in the first half of the year.