Data from Maoming Customs show that in the first three quarters of this year, the city's total foreign trade reached 11.46 billion yuan, up 2.4% year-on-year. Trade with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries hit 6.67 billion yuan, soaring 71.5% and accounting for 58.2% of Maoming's total foreign trade — the main driver of growth.
An international vessel docks at Maoming Port.
Private enterprises remained the backbone of Maoming's trade, posting 5.88 billion yuan in imports and exports, up 3.4%, and contributing 51.3% of the city's total. State-owned enterprises recorded 3.84 billion yuan, up 20.3% (33.5% of total), while foreign-invested enterprises contributed 1.65 billion yuan (14.4%).
Aquatic products remained the city's top export, with exports reaching 1.83 billion yuan (up 4.8%, 48.4% of total). Tilapia exports stood at 1.53 billion yuan, up 3.1%. Exports of fishing rods, polypropylene, and biodiesel totaled 290 million, 170 million, and 160 million yuan, respectively—up 18.3%, 70.2%, and 685.3% year-on-year. Exports of labor-intensive products reached 400 million yuan.
Crude oil imports reached 3.84 billion yuan, up 20.2% year-on-year, accounting for 50% of total imports. Rapeseed imports rose 36% to 1.3 billion yuan (16.9% of total), while aquatic product imports surged 62.8% to 270 million yuan. Imports of liquefied propane and zirconium and titanium ore sands totaled 620 million yuan and 350 million yuan, respectively.
In recent years, Maoming Customs has actively advanced AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) mutual recognition with enterprises from Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries, further unlocking the benefits of credit management reform. This has helped local companies expand their markets for both raw material procurement and product exports.
Driven by this cooperation, Maoming's trade with BRI partner countries in the Middle East reached 2.72 billion yuan in the first three quarters, up 157.7% year-on-year, while trade with BRI partner countries in Latin America soared 248.3% to 1.87 billion yuan. Notably, trade with Ecuador and Brazil grew 6.7 times and 26.6 times, respectively.
Author: Zou Xiangliang, Luo Huilong
Editor: Liu Lingzhi, James Campion, Shen He
